University Star

Fee increases just keep on coming and the university is drawing out every last penny from its students.

Texas State recently announced significant fee increases for buses and parking, as well as a proposed increase in tuition.

According to a campus-wide email from the office of the vice president of student affairs, parking permit prices will increase for the first time in three years. The perimeter commuter and motorcycle passes will increase by $10, each totaling $105. There will be a $35 cost growth for residence hall permits, totaling $245. Regular restricted faculty and staff passes will total $265, a $40 increase from the current year. Although the fee increase is the first in three years, the relatively small amount becomes significant when coupled with other increases.

In another campus-wide email from the office of the vice president of student affairs, students were invited to a Monday public hearing.  The session discussed “proposed tuition and fee increases for spring 2013 and academic years 2013-2014 and 2014-2015.” The tuition increase is attributed to a decrease in state funding. In these tough economic times, it is unfair to assume students are able to handle these extra fees.

Gov. Rick Perry recently encouraged public universities to make college education more affordable, but Texas State raised fees by the highest percent of any public institution in Texas. According to a March 29 University Star article, Perry’s proposal “allowed for some universities to present progress with less costly degree plans.” The university is going in the wrong direction regarding tuition rates, and it needs to stop. An increasing number of students are taking out loans and working extra jobs to make ends meet. University administrators need to help students by keeping education financially manageable.

A full-time student shells out $192 for an athletic fee, but the student body is notorious for its apathy when it comes to university athletics. The stadium was consistently unfilled during the 2011 football season, and Strahan Coliseum had subpar attendance during the men and women’s basketball seasons. The only sport that seems to gain fan attraction at the university is baseball. If tuition increases, the fees should reflect services used most by students. Fees like athletics should not increase, because most students do not put the fee into full use.

The titles of “Hispanic Serving Institution” and “Emerging Research Institution” are supposed to open doors for federal grant funding. The university should work to utilize these titles to gather as much funding as possible. At least in those areas, students should not be picking up the tab. The university should be working in favor of the students. Tuition and fee increases may seems insignificant, but when various departments tack on extra fees, the weight of the burden on students’ wallets is dramatic.