By 2011, Oregon university students will no longer be caught off-guard by resource fees not included in the cost of tuition.
The state Board of Higher Education on Friday approved a plan to eliminate all resource fees in an effort to create more transparency for students. ASUO President and Oregon University System fee committee member Emily McLain encouraged the board to pass the new structure – approximately nine months in the making.
The new fee structure is revenue-neutral, so even though the sticker price of tuition will rise, students will pay the same amount. The only difference is the fees will be visible before registration rather than after, allowing students to comprehend the full cost of higher education.
Programmatic resource fees, associated with particular majors or classes, will either be rolled into a flat tuition rate for all students or accounted for through differential tuition by program. Universal resource fees, such as the technology and energy fees, will be rolled into tuition.
“This new policy gets rid of the confusing, messy fees that make it difficult for students to plan, especially at the U of O,” McLain said. “We have more fees than any of the other universities. We have them in almost every single program and major.”
At its November meeting, the board expressed concern about the timing of the policy and whether it was feasible. In response, the fee committee extended the time frame in which universities would implement the policy.
Jay Kenton, OUS vice chancellor for finance and administration, said the committee developed a plan agreeable to committee members as well as university administrators.
“We just need to be honest about what our charges are and transparent, and I think this policy will get that,” Kenton said.
Although University President Dave Frohnmayer made a case against the new fee structure in November – he is concerned it will threaten the University’s autonomy – the administration must now decide how to go about eliminating PRFs.
“We’re really excited at the progress that we made, and even though this policy isn’t the end-all-be-all solution, it’s a really good step in the right direction,” said McLain.
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