<p>Hello all! I am very confused.. weren't able to get in touch with anyone who would know anything in my school. So, I received my bill for the fall semester. Imagine my surprise, when each class I'm taking (14 c.hrs) has some kind of "class fee" on top of regular tuition, including 2 sciences, calculus, english comp. All of them are from different depratments. The total of extra fees adds up to nearly $500. No one was told about those charges during orientation and class registration. Btw, my husband is a junior in the same university, but his bill doesnt have any "extras". He takes 2 foreign languages, 1 bio class and rotc. Is that even legal? what does it go for? when i called bursar, then registrar, then departments...everyone just gave me a run around. Anyone else had this problem?
and now I am reconsidering my whole idea about going back to school, because of all these horror stories going around about the pell grant... Even now it doesnt cover my full tuition... i will have to take even more science classes next year, i am afraid to think what the fees are going to be then(((</p>
<p>many (most?) schools have course fees …especially for science/math classes that have labs. I think all my kids’ classes have had some kind of fee. </p>
<p>These fees go for the “extras” that go with that class…such as chemicals, technology usage, etc.</p>
<p>Yes, this is legal. </p>
<p>I’m surprised that your H’s classes don’t have fees. How long has he been going to this school? Maybe the upper-division courses at this school doesn’t have fees?? Or maybe the fees aren’t charged to those in ROTC???</p>
<p>Thanks for the response! I guess, it makes sense. My husband had finished his first year in there, but his fall statemen doesnt have any “extras”; before that he was attending a community college. But as I already said, he was never charged an extra fee for his lab last fall(( I am confused. And what about my english class? there’s an extra fee too O_O . There’s no chemicals involved</p>
<p>Yes…even some “non lab” classes have fees. </p>
<p>There may be some expenses associated with that class…such as having a TA student helping in some way…so the fees may be going towards that cost.</p>
<p>I’m amazed at how many classes now have “labs”…even non-sciences. My kids had “labs” for philosophy classes! During lab time about 7 TAs wandered about tutoring, answering questions, taking roll, etc. Since each TA was paid $500 a semester to do this, I wonder if some of the fees went to that expense. </p>
<p>Many schools also use fees to cover upgrades to technology…new computers, software, etc.</p>
<p>There should be something on the school website about the fees.</p>
<p>Is is not unusual at all. A lot of schools have fees. Some, especially public Us, have very high fees. At our State U the regular per credit fees are almost as high again as the tuition. Then on top of that there are extra fees for online classes, lab classes, etc etc.</p>
<p>Swimcat…</p>
<p>Do you think ROTC people don’t get charged course fees? Her H doesn’t have the fees.</p>
<p>At my kids’ state school the course fees run about $200-250 per semester.</p>
<p>Our fees run about $125 a credit hour - a little more or less, depending on which college (buiness, Arts & science) the class is in. So, a 17 hour semester would be about $2100 fees in addition to tuition - bit of a surprise to those with full tuition waivers. Of course, our tuition os not high compared to private Us. I think the fees are a way to get round state rules about how much they can increase tuition. Oh, and that doesn not include any extra fees for things like labs or online classes (they run about an extra $60-70 a credit hour). </p>
<p>I also wonder if the ROTC has something to do with the husband not being charged fees.</p>
<p>My daughter’s college in New Jersey just raised to 4 figures ($1000) their annual fee labeled new construction costs on top of all those other fees you are now discussing.</p>
<p>This is a list of some of our mandatory per credit hour fees:
Student Activity Fee
Student Activity Fee - Athletic
Student Union Renovation<br>
Advising & Assessment Fee<br>
Facility Fee<br>
Campus Recreation Facility Fee<br>
Library Automation & Technology Fee<br>
Academic Records Fee
Daily Campus newspaper
Student Development Fee
Health Services Fee
Consumable Material Fee<br>
Academic Facilities Fee
Academic Excellence Fee
Energy Fee<br>
Life Safety & Security Fee
Parking & Transit Fee<br>
University Technology Infrastructure Maintenance Fee.</p>
<p>I don’t understand why they are not just part of tuition, I don’t doubt it is a way of getting round… something…</p>
<p>Then each school has their own fees. Don’t understand the parking fee as we have to pay a seperate fee for parking anyway.</p>
<p>My daughter has a full tuition waiver scholarship - does not cover any of the above fees which come out at over $120 per credit hour.</p>
<p>I agree they should just be part of tuition - everyone is paying them anyway. My D’s school charges a student activity fee (22.50 per semester) and she has had fees the semesters she took foreign languages (60.00!). They are not per credit hour. She has not taken any lab sciences. S’s fees are higher, and per quarter - 76.00 for activities and 75.00 for health services. But his tuition is significantly lower than hers. These fees are something that is not discussed much and can come as a surprise.</p>
<p>Our fees run about $125 a credit hour</p>
<p>Wow!!! </p>
<p>That’s a lot considering a student will take 30 credits per year if he’s full time and going to graduate in 4 years. That’s about $3750 per year!!! </p>
<p>I’m going to remember that when people complain that the fees at my kids’ state school run about $250 a semester…about $500 per year. There are only course fees…no other fees except paying for a parking decal. </p>
<p>*I agree they should just be part of tuition - everyone is paying them anyway. *</p>
<p>Well, in the case of charging nearly $4k per year in fees, I can see why they don’t. That would like a huge % increase in a state school’s tuition…and that % increase is what gets media attention. </p>
<p>Plus, like it was mentioned, those with tuition scholarships still have to pay them. The schools don’t want to give away another $4k per year in scholarships.</p>