Student fees pay for different aspects of campus

SSFAAC is responsible for creating and directing sums of money that comprise the Student Service Fee (Registration Fee) which every student must pay each quarter, so that it is of the greatest benefit to students.

“The Committee may make recommendations to the Vice Chancellor — Student Affairs on Registration Fee funded units both within and outside of Student Affairs,” the Procedures of the SSFAAC stated.

Student Service Fee

Vice Chancellor’s Representative at the SSAAFC Nancy Flagg explained that the Student Service Fee ($324 per quarter) garnered a projected $25,300,000 this year, $1,800,000 of which is restricted for student mental health services.

According to Flagg $15,300,000 is expected to be collected in the 2012-2013 school year for the Campus Expansion Initiative (CEI). The CEI fee is projected to increase 1.62 percent ($2.87 increase per quarter.) The new quarterly fee will break up $179.88 per student to cover athletic scholarships, the Coffee House (CoHo) expansion, Unitrans, Intramural activities, the Student Community Center (SCC), Student Health Center and Return-to-Aid.

“Without the students having chosen to assess themselves the fees, there would be no Student Community Center, Student Recruitment & Retention Center, ARC or new Student Health Center,” Flagg said.

The Facilities and Campus Enhancements Initiative and the Legal Education Enhancement and Access Program

The Facilities and Campus Enhancements (FACE) Initiative and the Legal Education Enhancement and Access Program (LEEAP) Initiative are projected to collect about $13,000,000 in 2012-2013. FACE and LEEAP fees are specifically intended to improve student activities, intercollegiate athletics and recreation.

These fees are used to pay for the multi-use stadium debt, Schaal Aquatic Center, Activities & Recreation Center (ARC), Equestrian Center, The Pavilion, Intramurals/Sports Clubs, the Student Recruitment and Retention Center (SRRC) and Return-to-Aid fees. For the FACE fee, $134.83 per student is allocated per quarter and $163.41 per semester is allocated for the LEEAP fee. In 2004, it was decided that a portion of funds that were allocated for the ARC would be redirected to the multi-use stadium. The initiatives have not been subjected to fee increases and are reviewed by SSFAAC before they are finalized.

“SSFAAC is a great opportunity for students to understand where their student fees are being used and to have an influence on the use of fees,” said Katrina Forrest, an Undergraduate SSFAAC Committee Chair. “It allows the committee members, made of undergraduates, graduates, law students, staff, and faculty, to view various departments and assess their budgets. We are a diverse group of individuals that collectively voice the student body as a whole.”

Student Activities and Services Initiative Fee

Enacted in 1995, the Student Activities and Services Initiative Fee (SASI) is used for the same services as the FACE and LEEAP fees but is subject to a 2.60 percent increase ($2.82 increase per quarter) in 2012-2013. The fee is $111.61 per quarter and is expected to collect $8,700,000 in the new school year.