Every semester, students pay copious amounts of cash to the University for our education. Many students seem to blindly pay the flat rate of tuition without much regard to the various fees tacked on top. With tuition and fees increasing every semester, everyone needs to be aware of where this money is going.
According to an investigation by the State Press, since fall 2014 students have been paying $75 per semester in an “athletic fee” to supposedly cover programs outside of the realm of athletics.
One of the major claims put forth when this new fee was passed was the fact that it would benefit certain programs and implement affordability for all students. While the fee should benefit the outlined programs, ASU's affordability is left by the wayside.
These fees should be going toward ASU's funding deficits in order for the bill to live up to the claim of "affordability for all students," which is outlined in the bill that implemented the fee.
The programs selected for increased funding should be specifically in the realm of education considering the budget cuts that have affected one of ASU's core goals.
To give ASU credit, the passage of the athletic fee occurred before the University encountered its most recent round of budget cuts. At the time, not as many programs were in such dire need of funding.
This past spring as reported by The State Press, “In anticipation of the cut, students in some programs were notified that some classes and programs would no longer be funded and would not be offered in the upcoming semesters.” That is where the money should be going, as opposed to where it is being spent now.
A few of the programs funded through the athletic fee are veterans services, transportation services and test preparation programs for graduate students. All reap the benefits of the pot generated by this fee.
The validity of the distribution of funds are somewhat flawed because we never know if the funds will be used wisely. A State Press article showed that often the weekend shuttles, one area that USG asked to be funded through the fee, often go unused.
Similarly, Patrick Gaines, president of the Student Veteran Association on the Tempe campus, told The State Press his association “does not receive any additional funding as a result of the fee re-investment.”
ASU should take into account the education programs that have been cut instead of funding special programs. The University should reassess where this $10 million is going. We need to make it possible for students to continue attending ASU rather than starting new programs. The programs funded by this athletic fee should not overshadow the $99 million cut from higher education.
USG and GPSA, as well as the Athletic Fee Advisory Board, need to reevaluate the programs selected for funding from the athletic fee. It does not make sense to contribute funds to these outlying programs and ignore the extreme funding deficits in our education.
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