The UNCG board of trustees hiked student fees by $45 last week to pay for the safety-escort service, more computer lab staff and more athletic scholarships.
The 3.7% increase will bring the total fees for the 2002-2003 academic year to $1,276.
Housing and dining rates will also jump, according to Dr. Carol Disque, vice chancellor for student affairs.
“[The housing increase] rate varies,” said Disque. “For a few, the increase will be 1%, and for a few others, it’s 11% because of new air conditioning units in some of the quad dorms.”
Disque said 90 quad dorm rooms will get window A/C units next year, but that depends on the capacity of the University’s power grid.
“We’ve gone into the quad and where we had enough electrical power, we put air conditioning in,” said Disque. “We wanted to do what we could- we’ve picked out some other rooms and air-conditioned them as well.”
Disque said prices for dining plans will increase about 3%. She added that Dining Services is adding a new plan providing 150 CAF meals and $400 declining balance.
The increase in student fees will be spread across the board. The activities fee will increase $8 to $279 in order to keep the escort vans running.
“My understanding is that these dollars will run the vans and drive the vans,” said Disque.
Money from the increase will go to maintaining the vans and paying the student drivers.
The educational and technology fee will spring $15 to $205.
“A portion of this fee is going specifically to hire a professional staff member to work second shift at the computer help desk,” said Disque. “That way all those students who are doing the best they can late at night can have someone to back them up.”
he other increased fees will pay for what officials call “inflationary costs”, which are based on estimates predicting possible shortfalls in the University’s non-academic budget.
“Each year, a [fee] committee gives us advice about what the fee increases should and should not be,” said Disque. “Next year, we’re looking predominantly at inflationary increases. One place where some additional dollars will go is toward the maintenance of the renovated EUC.”
All fees go towards non-academic costs, said Disque. Academic costs are paid with student tuition and legislative appropriations.
“About three-fourths of the University academic budget is in academic programs, as it should be,” said Disque.
Fees shouldn’t increase drastically any time soon, according to Philip Richman, vice chancellor for business affairs.
“Fees are going to be kind of steady,” said Richman. “We will stay in a 3%-4% increase range for the near future unless we build a building.”
Richman said the new science building won’t require another fee hike, since it’s been paid for with the education bonds passed last year.
