As the date to set tuition and fees for next academic year approaches, the Arizona Students’ Association is raising concern that fees are becoming a burden to students.
Before last week’s Arizona Board of Regents meeting, ASA requested a change in the fee-setting process and urged regents to use special consideration when deliberating fee increases.
ASA Board Chair Elma Delic said recent increases in fees have contributed greatly to the increasing cost of attendance at all three state universities.
“Tuition is a huge part of the total cost of attendance, and I think in the grand scheme of things, fees are becoming a large part also,” Delic said.
The student group is focusing on two categories of fees: mandatory fees and special program fees.
Mandatory fees are charged to all students to help cover the costs of services available to everyone, such as student recreation, health services and technology infrastructure.
Special program fees are charged to students in certain degree programs that require additional materials or services for those enrolled. Both types of fees must be approved by the University president and provost before they are sent to ABOR for approval.
ASU Senior Vice Provost Sheila Ainlay said students currently have input in the creation and increases of both types before the proposal is sent to the board. Ainlay also said that both are included when calculating cost of attendance.
“We typically find ASU students to be supportive of such fees, because they recognize the importance of the programs, services and special facilities in maintaining the quality of their education.”
Based on his participation in tuition and fee-setting conversations last year, former Undergraduate Student Government President Brendan O’Kelly said he feels student input is adequate.
“I would say there’s more student input into the [mandatory] service fees, and not sufficient into the program fees, at least from the student government standpoint,” O’Kelly said.
Current USG President Jacob Goulding said this year’s USG executive council has been involved in discussions on both types of fees.
“From what I’ve seen as USG president this year, we have been included in a lot of the discussions, so I would say it is sufficient,” Goulding said. “We’re in discussion with the administration about several different models [for tuition and fees] and what’s going to be the most effective for students.”
According to ASA officials, however, the current input is still not sufficient. There is concern that fees, particularly special program fees, are being used as a “back door” method of increasing University revenue in a more politically acceptable manner than increasing tuition.
However, Ainlay said fees are not a new creation to deal with recent budget cuts.
“University fees have been around for decades,” she said. “In recent years, with significant budget reductions, the University has seen an increased need for special program fees to enable programs to maintain quality.”
ABOR protocol requires student input, including a description of how it’s gained, but no set method is delineated.
This is the main cause for concern, Delic said.
“There’s a tendency to use the phrase ‘student input’ in a big way,” Delic said “Right now it leaves room for abuse, and in the past, we’ve seen abuse. In the past, we’ve constituted input as talking to one student.”
Former senator and current ABOR Regent Dennis DeConcini said he worries about the language of ASA’s statement regarding student fees.
“I felt their language was far more detailed and explicit than is necessary in a policy like this,” he said. “They use the word ‘proof’ [of student approval]. That is a legal term, which would require legal council to review everything that is said to the students and student leaders, and everything that is not said. It would leave the universities open to litigation.”
However, DeConcini said he agrees additional student input is necessary in creating fees.
“I have always said there should be full transparency, and the universities should give as much transparency as they can as to what the fees will be used for,” DeConcini said. “As much as I support the students, I felt it was going further than it would really help them.”
Although DeConcini said he has discussed his concerns with ASA leaders, Delic continues to stress the importance of monitoring student input of fees in the coming months.
“As tuition and fees continue to skyrocket, fees are really becoming a burden on students,” she said. “I think we’re going down a route where fees are becoming a large part of the total cost of attendance.”
Reach the reporter at keshoult@asu.edu
