Just received a notice letter? Cases are filed first-come, first-served. You may be entitled to compensation.
University of St. Thomas – Houston was the subject of a data breach notification filed with the NH Attorney General. The AG filing was recorded on May 27, 2026.
From the AG filing description
The University of St. Thomas – Houston is a private, liberal arts higher education institution that serves thousands of undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Operating within the higher education sector, the university collects and maintains vast repositories of sensitive personally identifiable information (PII). This includes comprehensive admissions records, academic transcripts, financial aid and student loan documents, payroll files for employees, and sensitive human resources data. Because universities function as communities where individuals live, work, and study, they routinely process high volumes of confidential data that makes them attractive targets for cybercriminals. In 2026, the University of St. Thomas – Houston reported a data security incident to the New Hampshire Attorney General, signaling a formal acknowledgment that unauthorized actors may have accessed its internal network or database infrastructure. Incidents targeting educational institutions typically involve sophisticated cyberattacks such as ransomware deployments, unauthorized entry into campus network domains, or compromises of third-party vendor applications used for student enrollment and payroll management. In the education sector, threat actors frequently exploit vulnerabilities in aging IT infrastructure or use phishing campaigns to harvest administrative credentials, allowing them to quietly infiltrate internal systems and extract sensitive archives before detection. Data breaches at universities expose a deeply concerning matrix of sensitive information, ranging from Social Security numbers and dates of birth to banking details used for direct deposits and financial aid disbursements. When student and employee data is compromised, the risks extend far beyond generic identity theft. The exposure of academic records, home addresses, and financial aid profiles creates severe vulnerabilities for targeted phishing, tax fraud, and fraudulent loan applications. Furthermore, because university populations include many young adults who may not actively monitor their credit histories, victims can remain unaware of fraudulent activity for months or even years, compounding the long-term financial and psychological harm. Educational institutions maintain a strict legal duty to safeguard the sensitive PII entrusted to them by students, parents, and employees. While the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) governs the privacy of student education records, colleges and universities are also bound by state data breach notification laws and general common-law principles of negligence to implement reasonable and appropriate cybersecurity measures. When an institution suffers a major breach of this magnitude, it often reveals systemic failures in network segmentation, multi-factor authentication enforcement, prompt patch management, and employee security training—all of which represent potential breaches of the legal duty of care. Receiving a formal data breach notification letter from the University of St. Thomas – Houston is a clear legal admission that your private information was compromised due to inadequate data security practices. Under modern legal standards, the receipt of such a notice and the resulting imminent risk of identity theft often provides affected individuals with the legal standing necessary to participate in class action litigation. Filing or joining a class action lawsuit holds the institution accountable for failing to protect your data, while seeking appropriate compensation for out-of-pocket expenses, time spent mitigating fraud, and the ongoing anxiety of compromised privacy. Our firm handles these complex data privacy cases on a strict contingency fee basis, meaning you pay nothing out of pocket and we only collect a fee if we successfully recover compensation for you.
Based on the data types reported in this filing:
Your SSN is the master key to your identity. Once exposed, criminals can open new lines of credit, take out loans, or file taxes in your name.
Combined with a name and other leaked data, date of birth helps criminals pass identity verification questions at banks and government agencies.
You may have been affected by the University of St. Thomas – Houston data breach if:
Common categories of compensation in data breach class actions
Courts recognize that the time spent monitoring accounts, placing credit freezes, and dealing with the aftermath of a breach has real economic value. This category of damages is recoverable even without direct financial loss.
Professional credit monitoring services cost $10–$40 per month. Identity theft restoration services, if needed, can cost hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars. Courts have awarded these costs as direct damages in SSN breach cases.
Direct financial losses resulting from the breach — unauthorized charges, fraudulent transfers, or fees incurred through fraud — are recoverable as compensatory damages. Banks may reverse some charges; a class action recovers the remainder and associated costs.
Data breach victims regularly report anxiety, loss of sleep, and ongoing fear of identity theft. These non-economic harms are cognizable injuries in data breach litigation, particularly in cases involving SSN or medical record exposure.
Note: an attorney general breach filing does not by itself establish a settlement fund, a payment amount, or a claim deadline. If an official settlement notice is later issued, rely on that notice for payment details and deadlines.
Applicable State Law
This breach was reported under the New Hampshire data breach notification law, which mandates notification and establishes your right to seek damages.
No. Under New Hampshire data breach notification law and federal law, the unauthorized exposure of your personal data — regardless of whether it has been actively misused — can be sufficient grounds for a claim. The breach itself is the injury.
Nothing. The Law Office of David S. Harris handles data breach cases on contingency — you pay zero upfront and owe nothing unless compensation is recovered.
Immediately place a free credit freeze at all three bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion). A freeze blocks new accounts from being opened in your name. Then file a complaint with the FTC at IdentityTheft.gov and contact our office — SSN exposure is one of the most serious breach types.
Banks may reverse fraudulent charges, but they are not obligated to compensate you for time lost, stress, or indirect damages. A class action claim against the breached company can recover those additional categories of harm.
State statutes of limitations for data breach claims typically run 2–4 years from the date of the breach or its discovery. Because this breach was recently disclosed, the window is open — but acting early preserves your options and strengthens the case.
Accepting free credit monitoring from University of St. Thomas – Houston does not waive your right to pursue legal action unless you signed a specific release waiving claims. In most cases, victims who accepted monitoring can still file.
Not necessarily. Many data breach victims are never notified directly. If your personal information was held by University of St. Thomas – Houston during the relevant period, you may still qualify even without receiving a letter. A free eligibility review can confirm your status.
Received a notification letter from University of St. Thomas – Houston?
Read our dedicated guide — what the letter means and what to do.
Learn how to participate in the class action and what compensation you may be entitled to.
Join the Class Action →Use our verification tool to confirm your letter matches this official AG filing.
Verify My Notice LetterThis case file references a public filing made with the state filing in NH. This website is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by any state government agency.
University of St. Thomas – Houston breach?
Free case review · No fee unless you win