$96.01 more in fees OK’d

The student fee advisory subcommittee approved its final recommendations for 2010-11 student fee increases on Friday.

If adopted, the proposals would increase fees by $96.01 per student, although students who own Carolina Computing Initiative-supported laptops will receive a $22 refund after paying the proposed $1,856.42 in student fees.

So far, the proposal has generated no significant opposition from students, who have been far more vocal in the past about their disapproval of fee increases.

The increase, which is $27.34 more than last year’s increase, must still be approved by the tuition and fee advisory task force and the UNC Board of Governors.

The student fee advisory subcommittee is a group of student government representatives and University administrators that discusses annual modifications to student fees.

The subcommittee approved three per-student fee increases that will be passed on to the tuition and fee advisory task force.

$18.10 increase in the student dining debt fee

$15 increase in the student health fee

$26.26 increase in the technology fee

The subcommittee has already approved other fee proposals that, combined with the three proposals approved Friday, will compose the $96.01 increase.

Student fees will increase from $1,760.41 for the 2009-10 year to $1856.42 for the 2010-11 school year if the recommendations are accepted.

$22 of the technology fee increase would be refunded to owners of CCI computers annually because the increase would give the University the ability to provide Microsoft Windows and Office programs to all students.

“Because students who bought CCI computers have already paid the Microsoft licensing fee when they purchased their computers, they should not be charged again,” said Zach Dexter, finance chairman of Student Congress and a non-voting member of the student fee advisory subcommittee, in an e-mail.

This year’s proposed increase is larger than last year’s, but there has been less controversy surrounding this year’s hike.

Many students protested last year against the $10.37 increase in the student child care service fee, which was intended to help UNC students with children pay for child care.

“The reason behind the controversy was that the scope of the child care fee only helped a limited number of people, whereas other fees had the potential to help students on a wider basis,” said Jennings Carpenter, student body treasurer and member of the subcommittee.

The student fees approved by the subcommittee are usually left untouched by the task force, Carpenter said.

“There’s usually no vetting of the fees there,” he said.

The UNC Board of Governors must also approve the changes, and they could make modifications.

“Occasionally, the Board of Governors may determine that a particular fee request or a broad set of fee requests need adjustment,” Dexter wrote in an e-mail.

The tuition and fee advisory task force will begin discussing the proposal on Oct. 13.


Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.