Student Activity Fees: Allocation And University Spending Decisions

Student activity fees are mandatory fees charged to students at universities and colleges, which are separate from tuition and matriculation fees. These fees are used to fund student organizations, extracurricular activities, and other services that enhance student life. The allocation of these fees can vary depending on the institution, but it often includes social and entertainment activities, intramural sports, student publications, student governments, and campus events. The fees are typically decided and distributed by a committee with representation from the student body, faculty, and staff. In the United States, the constitutionality of mandatory student activity fees has been affirmed by the Supreme Court, which ruled that public universities may charge these fees to support a wide range of student organizations, as long as the distribution of funds remains politically neutral.

Funding student organisations and activities

At the Ohio State University, for example, the Student Activity Fee is used to fund campus events, student organisations, student governments, the Discount Ticket program, alternative break programs, and local community service initiatives. The fee is charged to all undergraduate, graduate, and professional students each academic term, and the amount varies depending on the tuition group, ranging from $28.13 to $40 per semester. The fee generates approximately $4.6 million in a typical year, with a fixed amount of $1.03 million dedicated to funding student organisation resources, graphic design and video editing services, Signature Events, and limited staffing. The remaining balance is allocated by the Council on Student Affairs, which is a subcommittee of the University Senate and includes representatives from undergraduate, graduate, and professional students, as well as faculty and staff members.

At Georgia State University, the Student Activity Fee Committee (SAFC) serves as an advisory group to the university administration on allocating student activity fees. The committee consists of 18 voting members, 13 of whom are students, and distributes funding to over 400 student organisations. The funding supports a wide range of direct services for students, including presentations, workshops, and leadership development opportunities.

Additionally, at Augusta University, the student activity fee is used to fund various organisations benefiting students, such as the Student Government Association, student publications, cultural events, and student-run organisations. The fee enables students to participate in all student activities offered through the Student Life and Engagement Office on campus. The funding is allocated through a Student Activity Fee Committee composed of students, faculty, and staff.

The use of student activity fees to support student organisations and activities is not limited to the United States. For example, at the University of New Hampshire, the Student Activity Fee is administered by its autonomous student government and is used to fund extracurricular student speech.

Overall, student activity fees play a crucial role in enhancing and enriching student life by providing the necessary financial support for a diverse range of student organisations and activities.

Intercollegiate programs

The fees are often used to fund intercollegiate athletic programs, which can be extremely costly to maintain. Intercollegiate athletics programs at the Division I for-profit level require substantial funding to compete with other universities. This includes the cost of facilities, coaches, travel, recruiting, and scholarships. These fees are often not transparent to students, who may be unaware of the amount they are contributing to these programs. In some cases, the fees are not even itemized on tuition bills, making it difficult for students to know exactly how much they are paying.

While intercollegiate athletics are often considered a boon to colleges and universities, bringing in new students and enhancing their profile, the reality is that these programs rarely turn a profit. As a result, they are heavily subsidized by student fees and other institutional subsidies. The fees for intercollegiate athletics can be a significant portion of the total student fees, sometimes upwards of 80% of the total fee amount.

In the case of Augusta University, the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics receives an athletic fee from all students as part of their Mandatory Student Fees. This fee contributes to the operating costs of maintaining quality intercollegiate athletic programs that are NCAA and Title IX compliant. The university believes that intercollegiate athletics enhances the university experience for all students by developing school spirit and a sense of community.

Shortfall in state funding

State funding for higher education has been cut significantly over the last decade, and this has resulted in a shift of costs to students. Overall state funding for public two- and four-year colleges in the school year ending in 2018 was over $6.6 billion below what it was in 2008. As a result, colleges have increased tuition, reduced faculty, limited course offerings, and in some cases, closed campuses.

These cuts have made it harder for students to enrol and graduate, and have also worsened racial and class inequality, as rising tuition can deter low-income students and students of colour from attending college. In the long term, this shift in costs to students has resulted in a growing expectation that students and their families shoulder a greater load for college education. In 1988, students provided about a quarter of public colleges and universities' revenue, while state and local governments provided the remaining three-quarters. Today, that split is much closer to 50-50.

In the face of these funding cuts, universities have had to increase tuition to compensate for the loss in revenue. Annual published tuition at four-year public colleges has risen by $2,708, or 37%, since the 2008 school year. In Louisiana, published tuition at four-year schools has doubled, while in seven other states – Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, and Hawaii – published tuition is up by more than 60%.

In addition to raising tuition, colleges have also reduced academic opportunities and student services. During the toughest years after the recession, public colleges and universities cut faculty positions, eliminated course offerings, closed campuses, and reduced student services, among other cuts.

Mandatory student fees

The allocation of mandatory student fees is often decided by a committee or council with student representation, such as the Student Activity Fee Committee (SAFC) at Georgia State University, or the Council on Student Affairs at The Ohio State University. These committees work collaboratively with the university administration and other designated groups to determine how the fees are distributed.

The fees are typically used to fund student organizations, campus events, student governments, intramural sports, student publications, and other extracurricular activities. For example, at The Ohio State University, the Student Activity Fee funds major campus events, student organizations, student governments, the Discount Ticket program for cultural events, community service initiatives, and more. The fee ranges from $28.13 to $40 per semester, generating approximately $4.6 million in a typical year.

In the United States, the constitutionality of mandatory student activity fees has been adjudicated by the Supreme Court. The Court has ruled that public universities may charge these fees to subsidize political groups, as long as the distribution of funds is politically neutral. Despite this, most student activity fee funds are used for non-political purposes, such as social and entertainment activities, and are distributed based on the preferences of the student body.

Student governments

At some universities, like The Ohio State University, the student activity fee is allocated by a council or committee that includes student representation. In this case, the Council on Student Affairs (CSA), a subcommittee of the University Senate, makes decisions about the structure of the fee. The CSA includes undergraduate, graduate, and professional students, as well as faculty and staff members. The council's Allocations Committee reviews funding requests from registered student organizations and approves them.

At Georgia State University, the Student Activity Fee Committee (SAFC) acts as an advisory group to the university administration, specifically the Vice President for Student Engagement (VPSE). The SAFC consists of 18 voting members, 13 of whom are students, and collaborates with the Office of the Dean of Students and other designated parties. They allocate funds to over 400 student organizations, including student governments, to support a wide range of programs and services that enrich student life.

The University of New Hampshire has a unique structure where the student activity fee is administered autonomously by its student government, independent of faculty or staff advisors. This gives the student body significant influence over how the fees are allocated.

While the specific allocation methods may differ, the common theme is that student governments are actively involved in deciding how student activity fees are used. They ensure that the fees support initiatives and programs that align with the needs and interests of the student body, whether that be social and entertainment activities, intramural sports, student publications, or other extracurricular pursuits.

The involvement of student governments in fee allocation promotes student engagement and empowers students to have a direct say in shaping their campus experience.

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