Tuition. Most students on campus have an opinion on it. (We asked.) But where do your tuition and fees go?
For an Oregon resident undergraduate student taking 16 credits, here’s how it breaks down. All the fees below are for each academic term unless noted otherwise.
Related: “On the record: UO students on tuition”
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total tuition and fees: $4,472
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tuition: $3,712
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fees: $760
To understand tuition, you need to understand some basics about the university’s budget, which is divided into two major sections: the Education & General Expenses category, and other funds.
Money in the E&G category pays for administrative and mission-related items, such as the central administration, which includes human relations, the library and graduate school. The E&G category also funds university expenses, such as utilities, insurance and assessments. The vast majority of the E&G fund comes from tuition, but some of it also comes from the state, according to materials from a Nov. 1 Tuition and Fee Advisory Board briefing on the university budget.
The “other funds” category comprises revenue from research grants and contracts, funding for university construction, as well as donor gifts restricted to specific areas, such as scholarships.
Fees:
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Building fee: $45
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The building fee pays some of the cost for maintaining the grounds and buildings on campus. For individual students, increases depend on the number of credits they are enrolled for.
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Incidental fee: $259.25
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This fee, also known as the I-Fee, funds UO student government, or the Associated Students of the University of Oregon, as well as student groups. It pays for the cost of so-called “free” tickets to athletic events and for bus service in Lane County.
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Health service fee: $233.25
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This fee pays for some of the cost of the University Health Center, including office visits, pharmacy rates and lab work, excluding insurance. It’s also prorated based on credits.
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Recreation center bond fee: $38
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This bond fee pays off the debt and interest from the university’s construction of an addition to the center. The fee originally began in fall 2012 at $22 per term and increased to $35 per term the next year, after which point it increased again to $38. The 15,000 square feet of renovations and additions included new locker rooms, a juice bar and more gymnasium spaces.
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Recreation center fee: $64.50
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This flat fee pays off the debt incurred by the university from its construction and renovation of the Student Recreation Center. The student body approved it in a 1997 election, and it became a flat fee in fall 2009.
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EMU facility fee: $70
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This fee covers the costs of the $98-million EMU renovation project in 2014, according to the Emerald. Project leaders said that students would pay an extra $67 fee per term until 2043 to cover the construction, which included a prayer room, more meeting spaces for student groups and spaces for local restaurants.
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Technology: $50
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This fee pays for maintaining and improving “rapidly rising cost of technology services” on campus, including both wired and wireless internet access, classroom technology and on-campus computers.
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One-time matriculation fee: $430
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All new students pay this one-time fee when they enroll for their first term at UO.
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International Student Support Fee: $200/per term
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This fee funds specific services for international students, including academic support, personal and cultural counseling as well as federally required immigration reporting.
The Tuition and Fee Advisory Board usually meets in Johnson Hall, but will hold a tuition forum for students Tuesday in the EMU Redwood Auditorium. (Henry Ward/Daily Emerald)