Mandatory Fees - Board of Regents Policy

For a full view of the Board of Regents Policy please visit the USG website

Policy 7.3.2.1 addresses the mandatory fee process that USG institutions must follow. This policy states in part:

Mandatory student fees are defined as fees that are paid by all students as required by the Board of Regents or as required by the institution subject to approval by the Board of Regents.

Mandatory fees shall include, but not be limited to:

1. Intercollegiate athletic fees;
2. Student health service fees;
3. Transportation or parking fees (if the latter are charged to all students);
4. Student activity fees;
5. Technology fees; and
6. Facility fees. (BoR Minutes, January 2010)

All mandatory fees shall be approved by the Board of Regents at its meeting in April to become effective the following fall semester. Exceptions to this requirement may be granted upon recommendation of the Chancellor and the approval of the Board of Regents.

Clayton State currently collects eight mandatory fees from its students.

Overview of Procedure

The Board of Regents' (Regents) mandatory student fee request procedure requires CSU to submit fee requests in December of each year. Mandatory fee requests to the Regents must include the following: a summary of fee requests, a detailed revenue projections form, a financial data form with actual and projected revenues and expenditures, and a mandatory student fee participation form.

The Budget Office sends specific instructions and forms to the appropriate University divisions when received from the BOR, generally in October. The information is also sent to the University’s Student Fee Advisory Board (SFAB) who review all the requests, hold meetings and provide a recommendation to the Vice President of Business Operations. The proponent of the new or revised fee makes a presentation to the Student Fee Advisory Board (SFAB) which consists of at least 50% students. Each SFAB committee member has the opportunity to consider and vote on the proposed recommendation. However, SFAB committee recommendation is not required for submission to the President and Board of Regents. The Board of Regents policy requires participation not committee approval. The Board of Regents requires the submission of a mandatory student fee participation form signed by the institution’s committee chair and the institution’s Vice President of Business Operations and submitted to the Regents around December. The requests are considered by the Board of Regents and the University informed in the late Spring if the request was approved or denied.

Approved requests will take effect the following Fall Semester.

Data Required:

To obtain BOR approval for a mandatory student fee increase, the following detailed information must be submitted:

1. A list of all fees currently charged.
2. A narrative description of the fee request providing a justification for the increase.
3. A completed Mandatory Student Fee Participation Form for each request for a new fee or an increase to a current mandatory student fee, and a budget for a current mandatory student fee.
4. A completed Detail of Revenue Projection form for each applicable fee that will be assessed for that fiscal year, whether an increase is being requested or not.
5. A Financial Data form for all fees being charged, regardless of whether an increase is being requested for that fee or not.

   If an increase is being requested for that fee, include the following information:

   • Any inflationary increase expressed in percent increases and total funds. Also include a justification in narrative form.
   • Include both current and projected reserve balances and their intended uses.
   • Document any increase related to a change in service provider or contractual arrangement.
6. A completed Summary of Mandatory Fees Request form. This form includes a summary of mandatory fee increase requests, and a listing of reserves and fund balances.
7. Committee Vote Talley