Students to vote on student fees

Student fees could climb higher if voters approve three new referendums in Tuesday’s elections.

The proposals, which would increase the student organizations, legal services and security fees, would raise each student’s fees by about $6.

Student Congress voted to place the referendums on the ballot during its full meeting Tuesday night.

Fees on the ballot:

Student organizations fee
-Current: $39 / Increase: $6
-Description: Mainly to account for inflation since the last fee increase.

Student Legal Services fee
-Current: $13 / Increase: 85 cents
-Description: Would help cover the increase in accounting and auditing costs of services.

Safety and security fee
-Current: $2.20 / Increase: 7 cents
-Description: Mainly to account for inflation since the last fee increase.

Total undergraduate fees for the 2009-10 school year were $1,760.41. This cost could increase by $96.01 for the 2010-11 school year if all the recommended fee increases — including the three on the ballot — are passed.

Jennings Carpenter, the student body treasurer, said the fees are necessary to maintain the quality of University student programs.

Carpenter said the University’s recent budget crisis and departmental budget cuts have contributed to the need to increase fees.

“Students in organizations would go to departments and ask for funds from them,” he said. “Whereas departments had discretionary funds where they could pay for stuff before, now they can’t.”

The student activities fee increase, which funds multiple student groups, would mainly cover the cost of inflation, Carpenter said.

“It’s a six dollar increase, and students do get concerned about increases of that magnitude,” he said.

Carpenter said raising the safety and security fee would also cover inflation. The fee helps fund SafeWalk and other programs to increase awareness of safety.

Finally, the student legal services fee would help cover an increase in accounting and auditing costs for student legal services. The organization has already cut salaries by 10 percent and reduced travel and printing costs, Carpenter said.

He added that it is difficult to determine whether the fees will be controversial on election day.

Last year’s child care services fee referendum, which raised the amount of funds designated for UNC student-parents, passed only after the Board of Elections called for a re-vote because of fliers circulating around campus deemed to be in violation of election rules.

“It was a divisive issue,” said Ryan Morgan, last year’s Board of Elections chairman. “I think having a divisive issue on the ballot really increases voter turnout.”

Carpenter said he hopes the proposed fee increases generate a campuswide discussion like the child care fee referendum did and help voter turnout.

“Just thinking about the number of students who use legal services, the safety programs and the number of organizations who apply for money through Congress, I think these will definitely affect more students,” he said.

Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.