Board of Regents expected to vote on increase at next meeting
From textbooks to access codes and other school supplies, students pay a considerable amount to attend school each semester.
Financial cost was the main topic of the Student Government Association’s Feb. 21 meeting. SGA President John Bueaford opened the meeting and began discussing the student service fee that all students must pay.
“The recommendations of the board are that the Student Service Fee Committee recommends to the Board of Regents to increase the Student Service Fee from $7 to $15 per semester,” Bueaford said.
Beverly Cage, director of Student Leadership and Campus Life, said the increase would benefit students because it would give the clubs on campus a larger amount of money.
“All the clubs and organizations that get their money, both fall and spring semester, comes out of the student service fee fund, “Cage said.
Cage said that even it the fee does increase, it would still be one of the lowest in the region.
“Coastal Bend College does a $48 per semester (fee) in the fall and the spring and if you go in the summer you are being charged $48 dollars in the student service fee,” Cage said.
Beauford said that if approved by the Board of Regents, the change will take effect next semester. The increase is due to having the funds to be able to continue to supply students with the necessities for college life.
“The Scantrons, the pencils, the bluebooks — things like that — all that is bought out of that money,” Beauford said
Cheryl Sanders, dean of Student Engagement and Retention, also attended the meeting and told students how the student service fee covers way more than student realize, including riding the bus for free, guest speakers on campus and club fund distribution.
“It also helps with intramural sports, and I know they want to do more but they don’t have the funding,” Sanders said.
