Students don’t know where their fees end up

BY CASEY SAXTON

I’ve noticed over the last few years students at Utah State University are very student fee-conscious. Students like to know where their money is going and what they get from it, myself included. Knowing this, it surprises me that I’ve been unable to find a master listing or directory of our student fees and what services or programs we receive as a result of paying those fees. Picking my brain, I could swear I’ve seen one online before, but after searching the USU website for 45 minutes I was unable to locate one. At best the information I have found is outdated. If for some reason I’ve just missed it somewhere, by all means let me know about it.

This presents a question. Why isn’t there an online location that lists a breakdown of each of our student fees and what services or programs those fees provide or support?

Seriously, I’m surprised there isn’t one. My initial investigation was a result of a conversation I had with a student. Said student didn’t know student fees pay for an attorney who provides free legal advice to students. The attorney works out of my Utah State University Student Association office and is paid for with part of our activity fee money. My gut instinct tells me this student isn’t alone and the large majority of students don’t know where their student fees are going.

I’ve had the experience of serving on the University Student Fee Board, so I feel like I have at least a broad understanding of where student fees go. My USU/SA scholarship and the services which are provided through my office are paid (or mostly paid) for by student fees. I don’t think it’s unrealistic to think students have a right to know what they are getting from their student fees. I paid $464.84 in student fees this semester and it would be nice to see a breakdown of what the money goes to.

Having a location online that lists the amount of student fees and the programs or services each fee supports would be ideal. I will bring up this suggestion with other USU/SA officers and fee board members and see what they think. I’m confident most officers and members of the fee board would agree that our student fee breakdown should be more transparent and accessible.

I will keep you posted if there’s progress made or not made on the issue of fee transparency. Please let me know if there’s a topic you’d like me to explore here in my weekly column. Send me an email at studentadvocate@usu.edu with suggestions or tweet at me at @AggieAdvocate.

— Casey Saxton, a senior majoring in business administration and marketing, serves as the student advocate vice president for the USU Student Association. He can be reached in TSC 340, by email at studentadvocate@usu.edu or on Twitter at @AggieAdvocate.