The Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees today considered fee-related changes for the Edwardsville campus. The changes considered during the board’s meeting on the Edwardsville campus included the student fees for Housing occupancy rates, Information Technology, Textbook Rental and Intercollegiate Athletics.
Other fee changes were proposed for the Student Welfare and Activity Fee (SWAF), Student Fitness Center, Facilities and the Morris University Center fee and meal plans. The recommendations will be considered for approval during the April 10 meeting on the Carbondale campus.
Under the proposals, annual rental rates for a shared room at Woodland, Prairie and Bluff residence halls would be $5,590 compared with the current charge of $5,430. A deluxe single room would cost $11,180 annually compared with $10,860 now.
Annual housing rates at Evergreen Hall would be $5,940 for a shared apartment in fall 2014 compared to $5,770 now. A private apartment in fall 2014 would be $7,930 compared to $7,700 now. A private suite rate in fall 2014 would $6,730 as opposed to $6,530 now.
Upperclassmen residing in Cougar Village Apartments would pay $4,250 per year in fall 2014 for a shared room compared with $4,130 paid currently per year. A single room would cost $6,310 annually compared with $6,130 now. A deluxe single room has decreased to $7,310 per year compared with $8,260 now.
Families in Cougar Village, now paying $1,020 per month for a two-bedroom, unfurnished apartment, would pay $1,050 in the fall 2014. The same family paying $1,195 per month now for a furnished two-bedroom apartment would pay $1,230 per month in fall 2014. Families in a three-bedroom unfurnished apartment now paying $1,145 per month would pay $1,180 per month in fall 2014. A three-bedroom furnished apartment is now $1,340 per month and would be $1,380 in fall 2014.
Proposed occupancy fee rate increases would offset inflationary cost increases projected at 2-3 percent, fund debt service, maintain adequate fund balances in housing operations and provide for administrative costs.
The Resident Housing Association also proposed a 3 percent increase per semester in the meal plan charges for residents living in housing on the mandatory meal plan. The rates were developed for the academic year effective fall 2014 to offset inflationary cost increases in labor and food.
The Information Technology fee would change from $7.05 per credit hour to $7.25, a 2.8 percent increase resulting in a full-time undergraduate student paying $217.50 annually (two academic semesters of 15 hours each) compared with $211.50 that is currently paid. This fee helps defray the costs of supporting computing resources and networking infrastructure on campus.
Textbook rental fees would increase by $21 for the academic year effective fall 2014. The textbook rental fee is assessed at the same rates year-round. The annual rate for 30 hours would increase from $369 to $390. The 5.7 percent increase would offset other inflationary operating cost increases in salaries and the cost of books, provide necessary levels of service and maintain an appropriate fund balance.
A full-time undergraduate student (30 credit hours) would pay an Intercollegiate Athletics annual fee of $352.80 beginning in the fall, a change from the current rate of $341.30. The proposed 3.4 percent increase of $11.50 would support the annual operating expenses associated with an NCAA Division I program and would move the program toward established fund balance targets.
Annually (for a full-time student enrolled in 15 hours or more during fall and spring)
FY14 FY15 Change
• SWAF $229.90 $233.20 + 1.4 %
• Student Fitness Center $168.40 $173.40 + 3.0 %
• Facilities $570.00 $585.00 + 2.6 %
• University Center $323.10 $333.00 + 3.1 %