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11/18/2009

More than a thousand dollars a school year is what students pay in so-called 'fees'. If you wonder where that money goes, read the story in The Stinger magazine. Our editors think if you don't know where your money is going there's no one to blame but yourself.

This school year, University of Wisconsin – Superior full-time students will pay $1,165.18 in segregated fees. This is in addition to the $5,570.88 they pay for tuition.

The money that is collected from segregated fees is used for student services such as athletics, the construction of the new Yellowjacket Union and student organizations.

This amount can be seen on a student’s bill each semester. The bill is separated into multiple categories: one for tuition, one for segregated fees and one for housing and meal plan charges if the student lives on campus. 

Some students have no idea what segregated fees are, while others would like to see a detailed budget as to where the fee money is going and say that this information should appear directly on their student bill.

Well, it does.

On the electronic bill statement that students receive in their E-hive every semester, a link to a breakdown of the extensive segregated fees budget appears above the list of charges that a student must pay.

This is probably the easiest way a student can figure out why they are forking over an extra 1,165 bucks this year. If it matters.

Of course, there is a more difficult route to take as well. If a student is feeling ambitious, they can venture through the maze of the University’s website to find the budget office page where the segregated fees breakdown is posted. But if students are lacking the curiosity to click on a simple link, or to even check their student bill, it’s not likely they’ll take this course. 

At this point, to say that they don’t know what segregated fees are or complain about giving money to a shooting range they’ve never heard of is teetering on the edge of laziness.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. The absolutely easiest thing students can do is to know what they are paying for.  That link on your student bill leads to a one-page budget that outlines where each and every penny goes. It sounds daunting, but the budget is easy to read and not much more difficult to understand.

The next step for students to take is to speak out if they are unhappy about these charges. It is unlikely that segregated fees will ever go away, or get lower for that matter. If a student wants to have a say in where their money is going, there is an open forum for them to go to.

The Segregated University Fees Allocation Committee is located in the basement of the Rothwell Student Center. These students are in charge of dishing out the dough, with help from budget analyst Jeff Kahler.

Students are able to run for positions in SUFAC or can attend any of their meetings to learn more about or voice concerns regarding their segregated fees money.

In a time when extra cash is hard to come by, students need to claim responsibility for their money. Whether or not they can control how much money is paid, it is important for students to learn how to manage their money now that they’ve flown the coop. 

It’s also important for students to be aware of what segregated fees are just in case the vote comes up to tack on something like an extra $415 each year, such as the case with the new Yellowjacket Union.

It’s time for students to log off of Facebook, set down the cell phones, and log on to learn more about their money.