Okay, I received my bill for this semester’s tuition and fees. I have long since resigned myself that my university is incapable of being honest when it comes to the true cost of attending. I also realize that increasing the number/amount of fees is a very convenient way of raising funds while keeping the published cost “tuition” relatively stable. However, even my jaded cynical self did not think that my university would have the cojones to charge a 400 USD “registration fee.” This is a school where registration is totally automated and done by the students online. Anyone else get an “August Surprise?”
I got the new 80 dollar transcript fee. It replaces having to pay five dollars every time one requests a copy of their transcripts. Compared to the rest of the costs of my higher education, 80 bucks is not that much, but it still irks me. I cannot imagine needing 16 copies of my transcripts, so this fee just seems like an underhanded fundraising tool.
I think there are two things at work.
First is the desire to make tuition (and tuition increases) seem low. Thus, if the university has extra expenses they can cover via a different fee, that’s a handy was to do it. Of course, many guidebooks and other reporting agencies require that an institution include ALL fees so the real cost is evident. It’s not like the fees are invisible.
Second can do with the budgeting protocol. The budget model may be set up so that all (or most) tuition dolars flow to individual academic units. If the administration needs additional money for centralized student services such as computing resources and registrar services, they end up underfunded. A separate fee means that the money can go directly to those budgets without having to wrangle with deans and department heads about it (or “charging back” the departments for student services).
I understand that accounting practices might require these fees. I also understand that various courses of study may require additional fees. What bothered me about this was receiving a bill for many thousands of dollars and then seeing the fee at the end. It was like ordering an expensive meal and being charged for the napkins. 