The University of Wyoming Board of Trustees today (Friday) approved a proposal to increase mandatory fees for full-time students by 8.14 percent per semester for the 2009-2010 academic year.
Full-time students will pay $433.23 per semester next year, up from $400.63 this year. Part-time students who take between 4-11 credit hours will pay $210.23, an 11.16 percent increase from this year. Those students taking three credit hours or less will be charged $30 per credit hour.
Included in the proposal is a $3.70 increase for the Wyoming Union fee and a $17.40 increase for student services. There is no increase for intercollegiate athletics in the proposal.
"The mandatory fees assessed all students support a variety of self-sustaining programs," says Phill Harris, UW's vice president for administration. "The proposed increases for the next fiscal year will be used to fund salary increases, maintain employer contribution for health insurance premiums and fund a couple of program enhancements."
The proposed fee increase for the Wyoming Union will enhance salary and benefit increases and provide additional funding for the Union to support additional programming and grant-matching commitments within the Center for Volunteer Service. Volunteers in Action Days will double, and the Alternative Spring Break trips have almost doubled since inception, plus two international trips have been added, Harris says.
The Union Board and the Student Fee Committee have recommended approval of this request, he adds.
The proposed increase in the student services fee will help offset rising operational costs for the Associated Students of UW (ASUW), student media, recycling, wellness, AWARE (Alcohol Wellness Alternatives, Research and Education) Program, SLCE (Student Leadership and Civic Engagement) and music/theatre programs.
Base increases in the Student Services Fee will be used to fund salary and benefit adjustments. ASUW has requested additional funding to support increased funding of ASUW programs and services. Neither the Wellness Program nor music and theatre requested an increase for the next year, Harris says.
The proposal also includes a rise in fees for student health ($92 to $99) and recreation ($54.50 to $59).
The increased fee for student health will cover salary increases and also payment to a psychiatric consultant not covered by the amount paid by individual students who use that service, Harris says.
He adds that the fee request for the recreation program also includes funds to support a bike library technician, club sport funding, group exercise program, outdoor leadership development and equipment purchases and upkeep.
ASUW on Dec. 1 passed a resolution supporting the proposed fee increases.
Posted on Friday, January 23, 2009
