Concerned about rising tuition costs at UAF? Well, hang onto your wallet.

In addition to the planned 10 percent tuition increase over the next two years, UAF students will soon have to dig a little deeper into their back pockets to cover several fees related to attending UAF.

For example, a freshman attending UAF in the fall of 2004 and taking 15 credits can expect to pay $1,855 in tuition and fees for services that would have cost $1,599 at this semester's rates. 

Beginning this fall, the student recreation center (SRC) and government fees will be combined and increased to create a new student life fee, a new network access fee will be added, and the sports pass, orientation for freshman, and health center fees are all scheduled for increases. The only two costs that remain unchanged are the general technology and health insurance charges.
In light of an economy just beginning to recover, can the university justify the new fees and increases to old ones? Mark Sfraga, UAF's associate vice-president of student services believes the tuition increases are justified for two reasons.

"For one, students benefit from the increased quality of academics, facilities, support mechanisms, and commuter services that have all risen at the university in recent years," said Sfraga. "The second reason is that UAF has not kept pace with other peer institutions in the nation."

While places like Arizona have increased their tuition upwards of 40 percent, UAF has kept theirs "at a modest 10 percent for our students."
At a minimum, Sfraga said, "We need to keep pace with inflation, but also cover the costs of doing business."
One of the new charges is for a network access fee. "This charge is in addition to the general technology fee students currently pay," said Sfraga "The fee will be calculated at two percent of a student's tuition."

He said this was necessary, "due to increases in I.T. (Internet Technology) fees, which are skyrocketing."

One percent of the new fee will be allocated to the campus in which a student resides and the other percent goes to support the university's statewide technology infrastructure.
Part of the reason for creating the new student life fee, which combines the current SRC and government fees is "to make it easier to administer," said Dean of Student Affairs Tim Barnett.

The new single fee will be $30 more expensive than the fees currently charged to students, but this was crucial "to maintain and operate the SRC," said Barnett.

"The current rate of $75 (per semester) only covers the repayment of the bond that was used to build the facility," he said.

According to Barnett, $5 of the new fee will also be used to support "new programming" at recreation facility beginning this fall.
The other fee with a substantial increase is the orientation fee, which mostly applies to incoming freshman. Tammy Tragis of UAF's enrollment management department said, "The orientation fee had been set at $30 for the last eight years and is just now increasing to $75. The reason it was done was to cover increasing costs."
Is UAF overcharging students? Are students even aware of the increases?
Thom Walker, president of the Associated Students of the University of Alaska Fairbanks, said, "I do not believe students are aware of the new or increased fees as of yet."

Walker said he learned of the proposed fee increases himself just two weeks ago after returning from Juneau, but didn't sound overly concerned. "Paying more is not something anyone wants to do, but more money helps keep the university progressive rather than regressive."

Walker said he wouldn't want the university to return to its darker days of the past. "Before Hamilton (UA President) came on board, the university was struggling. There were neglected repairs, departments with minimal or non-existent budgets. Basically, the legislature had not given the university money beyond the minimum in 20 years," he said.
Walker may be student body president, but his views did not mirror those of most students interviewed on the issue. Eleven out of a dozen students surveyed at the Wood Center were opposed to the idea. None were even aware that UAF plans to increase fees in the fall. Twenty-one-year-old Kristen Ottensen is a psychology major whose pleasant demeanor appeared to sour with the news.

"Why are they combining the SRC and government fees?" asked Ottensen, "They are
two very different things."

Ottensen said many students don't use the SRC, so they should not be forced to pay for it.

She also felt that health center fee provides little if any benefit to most students. "It (health center) is not open in the summer, during Christmas vacation or during most hours when students are not in class and can go."
Like others opposed to the increases, student Emily Decker, 19, voiced similar dissatisfaction. "I never use the SRC and a lot of students don't even know where the health center is, but we still have to pay for it?!"
Mathew Robinson, 24, a biology major who was just sitting down to enjoy a slice of pepperoni pizza summed up his views on fee increases using the least amount of words. "It's freakin' ridiculous!"

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