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Longwood University is requesting a refund from the Town of Farmville for bus services the university did not use for seven weeks due to closing because of COVID-19.

During the Wednesday, June 10, Farmville Town Council meeting Town Manager Dr. Scott Davis told members Longwood was requesting a refund of $49,315.

Longwood closed its in-person campus classes in March and moved to online instruction and has not utilized the Farmville Area Bus (FAB) system since that time.

Council made no decision on the request but referred it to the finance committee to make a recommendation at the next council meeting.

According to FAB Transit Manager Julie Adams, the town typically receives $211,350.00 per year to provide service to Longwood University.

Adams said that figure allows any Longwood student or staff member to ride the FAB for free when showing their university ID.

“The only service where we charge a regular fare is the paratransit van service and that service, has an application process,” Adams said.

In addition to the revenue the town receives by providing bus services to Longwood, FAB generates $10,000 to $11,000 in passenger fares annually.

The regular fare is 25 cents on all in-town lines.

The FAB began in August 1990. The Express Line began serving Longwood in 1993. In August 2002, the FAB began a campus shuttle, providing service to what was then known as Stanley Park, now Lancer Park.