Understanding USU’s student body fees
Utah State University’s student fees go through a multistep process and are reviewed annually for approval by students, the university president, the USU Board of Trustees and ultimately, the Utah Board of Higher Education.
According to USU Student Association administrative assistant Dexton Lake, “Utah State cares and they want to make things transparent”.
USU’s student body fees are broken down into twelve different categories: activity, building, athletics, Aggie Shuttle, health services, counseling and psychological services, technology, campus recreation, library, music and theater, Aggie Bike and Blue Goes Green.
The following fees are also based on full-time enrollment, or 12-18 credits per semester.
The activity fee is $36.93 per student per semester. The fee is used by USUSA and the Student Involvement and Leadership Center; $32.13 goes directly to the center. Student Involvement and Leadership provides varied opportunities for student growth through student government positions, volunteer opportunities, leadership training and diverse programming and activities. $4.10 goes to Student Media to support students working at The Utah Statesman, Aggie Radio 92.3 FM, AggieCribs.com, video production and business, sales and marketing. The funds generated from the fee are primarily used for operational costs, which include printing costs of the paper, equipment, maintenance, and paid job opportunities for students. The fee also allows for on-campus groups and student organizations to pay a heavily reduced rate to advertise and promote events using several different mediums.
The building fee is $147.19 and provides money for debt services on portions of the Student Fee and Housing System bonds and Student Fee/Spectrum Recreation Facilities Systems Bonds. In addition, this fee provides funds for operations, maintenance, capital renewal, activities and usage of the Taggart Student Center and Aggie Recreational Center facilities.
The athletics fee is $138.33 and supports Utah State athletes and the athletics department. It assists in funding the overall “mission” of the athletics department.
The aggie shuttle fee is $21.95 and helps with operation costs for the 11 buses that travel around campus transporting students where they need to go.
The health services fee is $48.20 and provides the students with access to physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, medical assistants, laboratory technologists, health educators, pharmacists, dietitians, counseling and radiology services.
The counseling and psychological services fee, or CAPS, is $14.45 and is used to address mental health issues and to ensure staffing of mental health resources.
The technology fee is $66.81 and provides full access to 12 computer labs and the multi-media center. Each semester, students receive $2.10 of free printouts on their student ID card with full access to printers and scanners. This fee also funds services such as USU network and wireless infrastructure, authentication and online security, institutional ERP system (Banner), major software licensing and open access computer labs.
The campus recreation fee is $36.66 and supports the services, programs, and staffing offered by campus recreation including but not limited to: aquatics, athletic training, club sports, fitness and wellness, informal recreation, intramural sports and outdoor programs.
The library fee is $32.69 and is used to provide students with supplemental resources beyond what the Merrill-Cazier Library initially offers. The fee also funds expensive video-streaming options due to the need for digital resources, as well as an open educational resources coordinator position, housed in the library.
The music and theater fee is $10.61 and was first implemented to help cover production and promotion costs for fine arts content presented by Caine College of the Arts. Theatrical productions in the Morgan Theatre and Black Box Theatre, and music performances in the Daines Concert Hall, as well as other performance venues, are all offered at no cost to current USU students. The fee also supports the USU Marching Band in their performances at football games, the Pep Band, Tippets Gallery and the USU Scotsmen pipe band.
The Aggie Bike fee, originally $2.75, provides free bicycle lending, tool board use and education to the students. The fund sustains the basic operating costs of the program, including but not limited to: The purchase of bike tools, parts and components, paint, supplies, advertising materials, educational materials and the building upkeep and maintenance. Additionally, the fee pays for student staff who assist students with personal bikes. All students can check out a 24-hour bicycle or a three-month rental bicycle without having to pay. Per recent changes, the fee will be removed from student fees and instead added as an extra charge onto parking passes. Aggie Blue Bikes will still be available for students.
The Blue Goes Green fee is $3.03 and enables sustainable initiatives at USU through campus awareness events and the facilitation of the Blue Goes Green, or BGG, Student Grant.
More information is available at https://www.usu.edu/student-affairs/student-fees.