Approval of Student Fees UPPS No. 03.04.03
Issue No. 8
Effective Date: 04/19/2006
Review: June 1 E5Y
01. POLICY STATEMENTS
01.01 The
purpose of this UPPS is to outline the procedure for obtaining proper
authorization and approval of fees at Texas State University-San Marcos. This
policy does not apply to fees charged for Continuing
Education courses or course fees (see UPPS No.
02.01.01, Continuing Education).
02. DEFINITIONS
Following
are definitions which are relevant under this policy and which are structured
to follow the definitions utilized by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating
Board.
02.01 Mandatory
fee a fee that is required by the Education Code to be charged to all university
students (other than those exempted from the fee).
a. Laboratory
fee a mandatory fee that is charged under Texas Education Code, Section
54.501 to cover the cost of laboratory materials and supplies for students
enrolled in science courses.
02.02 Discretionary
fee a fee that is authorized under the Texas Education Code and which a
university is allowed, but not required, to charge to groups of students (other
than those exempted from the fee).
a. Compulsory
fee a discretionary fee that a university may elect to charge and that, if
charged, must be charged to a group of students (other than those exempted from
the fee). The term compulsory fee does
not include an incidental fee.
b. Voluntary
fee a discretionary fee that is charged only to those students who make use
of the service or item for which the fee is established.
1) Course-related
fee a voluntary discretionary fee required of all students enrolled in a
particular course.
2) Incidental
fee a voluntary discretionary fee that is charged for services not related to
enrollment. Some are required of all
students; others (such as library fines) are charged because of actions or
inactions by the student.
3) Optional
fee a voluntary discretionary fee that is charged for an activity, service,
or item not directly related to education, such as a fee for sports or cultural
events.
02.03 Required
fee a mandatory or discretionary fee that a university charges to a student
as a condition of enrollment at the university or in a specific course.
02.04 Registration
fees a broad category encompassing charges assessed through the registration
process for statutory, designated, or board-authorized tuition, as well as
other mandatory or discretionary fees.
02.05 Matriculation
fee a discretionary fee that is charged to a student withdrawing from the
university before the first day of class, as authorized by Texas Education Code,
Section 54.006(a).
02.06 Tuition
statutory (Education and General), designated, or board-authorized tuition.
02.07 Auxiliary
fee a mandatory or discretionary fee charged to recover costs for providing a
service or activity that is self-supporting.
03. PROCEDURE FOR APPROVAL OF FEES
03.01 A student
fee may not be established or charged for any function, activity, or program
unless the activity has been approved by the university administration and
appropriate agencies, if required. The fee proposal must cite the legal
authority under which the fee is to be charged.
03.02 Mandatory
Fees - The steps for approving or changing a mandatory fee are:
a. The
administrative head secures approval from his or her divisional vice president
or equivalent university official.
b. The
divisional vice president submits the proposal to the Vice President for Finance
and Support Services (VPFSS).
c. The VPFSS
presents the recommendation to the President's Cabinet for recommended Board
action.
d. The VPFSS
submits the information to the Board of Regents.
03.03 Discretionary Fees- The Board of Regents' approval is not necessary
for any new or modified discretionary student fees. The steps for approval of a
non-mandatory fee to be charged to any student at
a. The
administrative head secures written approval of the general concept from his or
her divisional vice president.
b. The
administrative head contacts the Associate Vice President for Financial
Services/Treasurer to discuss the proposed fee or change.
c. The
Associate Vice President for Financial Services/Treasurer forwards the request
to the VPFSS for approval.
d. The VPFSS
secures approval of the discretionary fee or change from the President, after
consultation with the President's Cabinet.
03.04 Student
Advisory Board Consultation - Where required by law, proposed new fees or fee
increases will be discussed with the appropriate student advisory boards or councils
prior to preparation of the proposed Board orders. The divisional vice
president with operational authority for the fee is responsible for these
discussions. Consideration of changing fees or adding fees, either mandatory or
discretionary, must also be discussed in a timely manner with the Vice
President for Information Technology for computer support and with the Director
of Accounting for implementation. The department or division requesting a new
fee must submit a service request.
Several months of lead time may be needed to implement a new fee.
03.05 Effective
Date - The fee should not be announced and cannot be charged until written
approval has been received from the Vice President for Finance and Support
Services and Regents' approval has been secured (if necessary). The VPFSS will
include the effective date for the change in the Board item for recommendation.
03.06 Regents'
Approval - The following is a list of fees which must be submitted to the Board
of Regents for approval (see Rules and Regulations, Board of Regents, Texas
State University System).
a. Statutory E&G
(Education and General) Tuition
b. Student
Services Fees
c.
d. Student
Transportation Fees
e. Room and
Board Rates
f. Special
Course Fees
g. Diploma,
Certificate, Auditing and Extension and Correspondence Instruction Fees
h. Designated
Tuition
i. Recreational
Sports Fee
j. Medical
Services Fee
k. Board-authorized
Tuition
03.07 Incidental
Fees - The Board has delegated to the President authority to fix the rate of
other incidental fees charged under the authority of Section 54.504, Texas
Education Code. Such fees include library fines, microfilming fees, thesis or
doctoral manuscript reproduction or filing fees, application processing fees,
laboratory breakage charges, bad check charges, schedule change fees, late
registration fees, reinstatement fees, computer service fees, computer access
fees, computer use fees, student publication fees, fees for special courses or
programs which are fully paid by privately funded scholarships, and installment
fees within the limits set by Chapter VI, Section 3.41 of the Regents' Rules. The
Board of Regents must approve an incidental fee that is not listed above.
[Refer to Education Code, Section 54.504]
03.08 Parking
Fees - The Board has delegated to the President authority to set vehicle
registration fees and schedules of penalties for violating the University's
parking regulations.
03.09 Any
questions concerning fees which might be submitted to the Board for approval
should be addressed to the Associate Vice President for Financial
Services/Treasurer or the Vice President for Finance and Support Services.
04. COST ESTIMATES
04.01 Establishment
of or changes to fees must include an analysis of the costs of providing the
good or services which the fee is to cover. Cost estimates should be prepared
by the department proposing the fee amount.
05. TIMING OF FEE CHANGES
05.01 All fees
should be submitted in a timely fashion for inclusion in the
05.02 Generally,
new fees or changes to fees are submitted to the fall Board of Regents meeting
in order to allow adequate time for publishing these changes.
06. REVIEWERS OF THIS UPPS
06.01 Reviewers of this UPPS include the following:
Position Date
Associate Vice President for June 1 E5Y
Financial Services/Treasurer
07. CERTIFICATION STATEMENT
This
UPPS has been approved by the following individuals in their official
capacities and represents
Associate
Vice President for Financial Services/Treasurer; senior reviewer of this UPPS
Vice
President for Finance and Support Services
President