The Student Health and Wellness Center did not receive nearly $4.6 million in tuition dollars because a proposed $80 per year student fee was denied, said ASU President Michael Crow.
The Arizona Board of Regents rejected the health and wellness fee during tuition talks last spring but did increase tuition rates beyond what ASU requested. The amount of the fee was included in the tuition increase.
Crow said the University could not use the money for the health center because tuition can only be used toward academic programs.
The plan was to withdraw the $2.3 million state funding from the health center budget and use the money in academic programs. The money from the fee would have replaced the state funding and then some. The extra money would have helped to reduce costs at the health center for students.
"What we tried to argue last year was we will keep our tuition very modest," Crow said. "And the fee would then buy out this $2.3 million and lower the user cost."
Instead, because the fee was denied, the center was forced into a "holding" pattern, which kept user fees the same as the previous year.
Mary Rimsza, the former director of the center, said she was disappointed to see the facility only received a $170,000 increase from last year but said she had no involvement beyond the original proposal of the fee in determining the center's budget.
"We prepared the proposal for the student health fee, but we were not part of the discussions when it was finally decided not to have the health fee," she said.
But Crow said the health center is a priority for administrators and is undergoing a redesign in staff and structure.
He added that the health center, which is now under the direction of Dr. Gary Septon, would be working with the nursing school to employ nurse practitioners in an effort to provide students better service.
Though the physical modifications won't be completed for some time, he said the facilities would be updated within the next five years to accommodate the increasing student body, which has far surpassed the 6,000 students the health center was originally made to serve.
Reach the reporter at rkost@asu.edu.
