University of Virginia Library

Student Fees

The Student Council will soon begin the
lengthy and time-consuming process of
hearing budget request from student groups
that range from the Rugby Club to the
Virginia Law Review. Unless the student
portion of the Comprehensive Fee is raised,
very few of these groups will be satisfied with
their allocations next fall. The simple reason
for this is that income from the Student
Activities Fee has not increased sufficiently
over the past several years to keep up with the
demands of student organizations.

The Student Council has tried to remedy
this. Twice in the past two years they have
requested a hike in the student portion of the
comprehensive fee, the last request was
supposed to be presented to the Board at their
meeting last June. At the same meeting the
Board raised the Student Health portion of
the Comprehensive Fee $5 and the portion
that goes to the retirement fund for the
faculty $10. The Student Activities Fee was
left the same.

Each full-time student at the University is
charged $142 in Comprehensive fees. Fifteen
dollars of this money goes to pay off the
mortgage on University Hall; another $7 goes
to the Library Building Fee; $20 is paid to the
Athletic Department; $40 is paid to Student
Health; $14 goes to subsidize the University
Union; $4 goes to a fund that is used to pay
for graduation parties and expenses; $25 goes
to the retirement fund for faculty members;
and the rest, $7, is expected to support all
student clubs, activities, and publications.

Not all of the University's 9,500 students
pay the full fee, but approximately $60,000
was available for student groups this year. Of
this money, almost $27,000 was allocated by
the Student Activities Committee to The
Cavalier Daily. That left a little more than
$33,000 for the Student Council to dole out
to the 40 student organizations that requested
funds.

In past years the Council's request for an
increase in the student portion of the
Comprehensive Fee of either $2 or $2.50 has
been met by the administration with claims
that increased enrollment of students will
provide sufficient funds for student organizations.
But the University's expansion may
be checked by the budget cuts in Richmond.

Meanwhile, two student magazines, Rapier
and the University of Virginia Magazine have
folded due to financial difficulties, the Rugby
Club and the Crew Team have had to have
raffles and fund drives to keep going and
many organizations have had to limit their
activities in spite of high dues. As Student
Council President Jim Roebuck pointed out
Tuesday night, coeducation will mean the
formation of new student clubs, increasing the
demand on the limited funds now available.
As printing costs increase this newspaper will
need more money.

Being able to play a club sport, work on
the student radio station, or write for a
student publication are all important
additions to a student's education. We rather
suspect that one reason for the Board of
Visitor's refusal to raise the student fee is
their mistrust of the group that will supervise
the spending of it. One of the few real powers
the Student Council has is the allocation of
funds. A group that misbehaves can be
penalized by the Council when it requests
money. Without that money student government
at the University will become
something of a joke.

The Board of Visitors has delayed long
enough in increasing the Student Fee. For
adequate funds to be available next September
the Board must act soon.