ASU Should Let Students Opt Out Of Student Initiated Fees

Meaningless fees become more meaningless when college is online

Many ASU students haven’t attended a single in-person class this semester, let alone used ASU facilities, or even set foot on campus. Despite only 20% of students attending classes in-person, students are required to pay hundreds of dollars in fees for campus amenities. Students should be offered an option to opt-out of these fees during the process of paying tuition before the semester begins, especially for students who choose not to attend in-person classes.

Students are charged $628 annually in Student Initiated Fees. These fees are used to fund various different amenities and give students admission to certain events and facilities. While these fees are unnecessary in a regular semester, they are even more-so with most students residing off-campus because of COVID-19.

The annual Recreation Fee funds the Sun Devil Fitness Complex. The Student Services Facility Fee allocates $43 million towards the cost of the Memorial Union and the Student Pavilion. Students are also charged $60 per year for the Student Programs Fee for clubs and organizations. The largest fee is the $150 Student Athletic Fee that provides students ‘free’ attendance to ASU football games. ASU is the only state university in Arizona that charges a fee of this type.

Saular Rahimian, a freshman who has never set foot on campus, said “when we’re being charged nearly $700 for things we can’t use, it rubs me the wrong way.”

Online-only students wonder why they are required to pay the Recreation fee if they’re not attending in-person classes or potentially not even residing in Arizona.

Rahimian noted that he already has a gym membership he frequently uses. Students should be able to opt out of the Recreation Fee if they don’t plan to use the SDFC. If they change their mind, they can purchase a membership that is already available for non-fee paying students, like online students.

It doesn’t make sense for students attending classes remotely — especially those residing out of state — to pay the Student Service Facility Fee if they’re not going to benefit from ASU facilities.

Students should also be able to opt out of the Student Programs Fee if they do not plan to join a student organization. If they change their minds they can pay the fee when they sign up for a club.

In a normal year, I would argue that students should be able to opt out of the Student Athletic Fee and instead pay admission to individual games. However, this is not a normal year. The Pac-12 currently does not allow spectators into games. Why must students pay a fee that gives us free admission we can’t use?

“[The fee] wouldn’t bother me if I had the ability to go to games,” Rahimian said.

Students on the Tempe campus alone pay $33 million in fees based on an enrollment number of 53,286 students. If only 20% of students this academic year make use of the amenities paid for by Student Initiated Fees, then a majority pay $26 million in fees with no return.

Base tuition is already $10,710 a year with over 50,000 students enrolled, so why doesn’t tuition cover the expenses currently paid for by the student initiated fees?

These fees are a great deal for ASU, but students aren’t getting their money’s worth.

Ryne Bolick is a Mechanical Engineering student in the Barrett Honors College at ASU. He is an opinion columnist with State Press. A former vice president of the Governor’s Youth Commission, Ryne is currently the owner of FireBird Installations.

About Ryne Bolick 3 Articles
Ryne Bolick Mechanical Engineering - Barrett, the Honors College | ASU '24 Opinion Columnist, State Press Fmr Vice President, Governor's Youth Commission Owner & Founder, FireBird Installations