The Nevada Sagebrush

CARSON CITY – Starting in fall 2009, students will pay for the Associated Students of the University of Nevada budget with a $5 per credit fee.

The Board of Regents approved the fee at Friday’s meeting. Voting for the fee were Regents Michael Wixom, Stavros Anthony, Cedric Crear, Thalia Dondero, Dorothy Gallagher, Jason Geddes, James Leavitt, Howard Rosenberg and Jack Schofield.

Voting against the fee were Regents Ron Knecht and Steve Sisolak.

Currently, ASUN receives a portion of the per credit tuition fee – this year, ASUN receives $3.34 per credit. Next fall, ASUN will receive $4.34 per credit. With the approved proposal, the university will instead receive the portion.

ASUN President Sarah Ragsdale and University of Nevada, Reno President Milton Glick said the fee would benefit both the students and the university.

Some of the programs that would be funded by the fee would include Campus Escort, the defunct Safe Ride program and clubs and organizations budget requests, Ragsdale said.

Ragsdale said the fee allows the government to become more transparent.

“This shows students where the ASUN money is coming from, instead of us just receiving money in an ambiguous way,” Ragsdale said. “Students can hold us accountable and ask, ‘Where is my ASUN fee going?’”

The fee will begin in fall 2009, after the $5 surcharge during the 2008-2009 school year ends. The surcharge was created at the February regents meeting to deal with the state budget cuts.

Sisolak said he did not agree with Ragsdale’s argument that it was benefiting the students.

“Whichever way you choose to assess it, it’s still coming out of the students pocket,” he said.

Related Posts:

• No Related Posts