UAA entrance sign. Photo by Taylor Heckart.
Student fees were raised $3.66 per-credit-hour for each student attending classes at UAA last fall semester. The increase was proposed in fall 2023, when the chancellor decided to approve the fee increase for some organizations and declining others.
The Northern Light spoke with Student Life and Leadership associate director and USUAA advisor Zac Clark to understand student fees and their applicability to student life.
Clark is also the administrative advisor to The Northern Light.
Clark said there is a fee review every four years at UAA. Multiple organizations on campus associated with the consolidated student fee, such as Student Health and Counseling, Activities and Programs, Transportation Services and Athletics, were under a fee review in 2023.
There are two types of student fees: mandatory student fees and student fees. The difference between them is that mandatory fees are put under review every four years to contribute to campus organizations that may be in need of further financial support.
Student fees are initiated because the student body requested additional funds for campus organizations.
“When you talk about student fees, you have fees that students asked for and advocated for and created for themselves, and then mandatory student fees for services that are needed, but there's no other way to pay for them, other than to pass that cost to the students,” said Clark.
Transportation Services and Student Health and Counseling requested a fee increase and were approved to share a fee increase of $3.66 per-credit-hour between the two organizations.
Originally, student fees were $36.50. With the change, they were increased to $40.16 last semester.
Of the $3.66 increase, $3.11 went to Student Health and Counseling services and 55 cents went to transportation services.
Clark said the chancellor approved a fee increase less than what was requested. Student Health and Counseling requested a fee increase of $6.50 per-credit-hour, but the chancellor approved $3.11.
Chancellor Sean Parnell issued a memorandum that explained his decision and sat with The Northern Light to discuss the memorandum.
Parnell said some organization fees were rejected or approved in part because that every student attending UAA pays for student fees, but not every student is able to access what these mandatory fees contribute to.
Parnell commented on Student Health and Counseling’s partial approval.
“Student needs, especially for mental health, have sharply risen. And so I felt it was justified to approve a partial increase there.”
Parnell said “we're fighting hard to keep this place affordable for students,” but also mentioned inflationary pressures of the last three years.
According to the memorandum, one of the other UAA organizations that requested a fee increase was the Student Union for a new charge of $4.50 per-credit-hour. The fee request was declined because Student Engagement and Inclusion overshot its budget fiscal years 2020 through 2023.
The chancellor’s memorandum stated, “This is not sustainable. Once these practices are undertaken and improvement demonstrated, we can once again consider whether such a new student fee makes sense as a last resort.”
The Northern Light also spoke with Parking and Transportation Services associate director Falon Harkins. Harkins said the 55-cent allotment to Transportation Services contributed to a third transportation shuttle that will take students to and from the Alaska Airlines Center and Merrill Field in the spring semester. The shuttle will also support main campus travel in addition to the aviation buildings.
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