FAQ
INFORMATION ABOUT MANDATORY FEES 2008-2009
Frequently asked questions
What are mandatory fees?
Mandatory fees are necessary to provide a complete range of student services that support the academic environment. UWG has the following mandatory fees: Activity, Athletic, Health, Technology, Transportation, Campus Center, International, and Athletic Complex fees.
Does HOPE cover mandatory fees?
HOPE covers about half of the mandatory fees (the state placed a cap on HOPE funds several years ago). At UWG, HOPE will cover $281 of the $560 in mandatory fees for full-time students. For more information about HOPE, visit www.westga.edu/~finaid.
Do all public universities in Georgia have the same mandatory fees?
Within the University System of Georgia (USG), mandatory fees for full-time students range from $77 at Waycross College (a two-year institution) to $630 at Valdosta State University. Some USG institutions pro-rate fees for part-time students, while others do not. For 2008-2009, UWG's mandatory fees for full-time students are the sixth highest of the state's 19 public universities (below Valdosta, Georgia State, Georgia Tech, the University of Georgia, and Georgia Southern). Our fees for part-time students are among the lowest in the state. Unlike UWG, several institutions also charge additional “optional” parking fees which students who wish to park on campus must pay.
Why should I have to pay fees for services I do not use?
UWG's fees and fee policies have been carefully set to provide the best possible services to the widest possible range of students at a reasonable cost. We have attempted to establish a policy that spreads the costs out as equitably as possible. It may help for you to think about these fees in the same way as you think about school taxes. Many people without children pay taxes that support their local schools, even though they will never personally "use" that service - but they certainly benefit from that expense, because quality schools are necessary for a quality community environment. In that same way, university fees insure the quality of the UWG community. When you examine the fees further, you will probably find that you actually "use" some of them more than you realize, that you benefit from some without realizing it, and that you could benefit from others if you choose to use them.
How does UWG decide how much to charge for mandatory fees?
Each fee is reviewed annually by separate committees. By University System of Georgia policy, the membership of each committee is at least half students. The committees make recommendations to the President, who in turn makes recommendations to the Board of Regents.
Why are some mandatory fees based on the hours a student takes, while others cost the same for full and part-time students?
All students, regardless of the number of hours they take, are required to pay the full Technology fee because full-time and part-time students generally benefit equally from that fee. The Technology fee supports a variety of technological services that enhance the academic experience. All students taking at least 5 hours are required to pay the full Health fee. The Health fee makes the campus safer and healthier for all students (for example, by insuring that students are immunized, providing treatment for infectious diseases, and educating the campus community on ways to be healthier and safer). The Transportation, Athletic, Activity, and Campus Center fees are pro-rated, so part-time students pay less than full-time students. The pro-ration formulas were all recommended by committees with student members. Because of UWG’s decision to pro-rate mandatory fees, part-time students at UWG pay less in fees than at most other institutions in Georgia.
Following is a description of each of the mandatory fees:
Activity fee: The student activity fee supports many co-curricular activities at the University, including, but not limited to the newspaper, other student publications, university television, debate team, drama and music programs, fine arts, art exhibits, intramurals, student research grants, the Student Government Association, and select other student organizations and activities. A list of all activities funded by the Activity fee is available from the Campus Center. Each Spring, departments and organizations are allowed to make application for fees for the following year, to the Student Allocation Fee Budget Allocation (SAFBA) Committee. The SAFBA Committee spends many hours reviewing applications and listening to presentations from petitioners before making their recommendations.
Athletic fee: The athletic fee supports the intercollegiate athletic programs of the university. Students who have paid the fee are granted free admission to all regular season games in all sports. Intercollegiate sports for women include basketball, cross country, volleyball, softball, soccer, and golf; and for men, baseball, basketball, football, cross country, and golf. For more information on UWG sports, go to http://www.uwgsports.com/ Specific questions about what the Athletic fee funds should be directed to the Athletics Administration office.
Health fee: The health fee covers most services provided in the university Health Service, including consultation with the physician and nurses, most prescriptions, and some tests done in house (for specific questions about health services, students should contact that office – 839-6452 – which is open 8:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. Monday-Friday when classes are in session during Fall and Spring, and 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. summer term.). The service is primarily for diagnosis, first aid, and treatment of minor or short-term illnesses or injuries. The Health fee funds a variety of health education programs which are free to students. Staff includes certified Sexual Assault responders who work with victims of sexual assault as well as leading the campus and community in sexual assault prevention efforts. Health Services employs a Patient Advocate, who helps students with a variety of confidential mental health, physical health, and personal safety issues, including connecting them to campus and community resources. Finally, Health Services also pays a leading role in keeping the campus safe and healthy, by providing immunizations, treatment for communicable diseases, and providing emergency and crisis response leadership for the campus. For 2008-2009, they are adding a second Patient Advocate and a second Health Educator to meet the growing demands of the campus. For more information about Health Services, go to http://www.westga.edu/~health/
Note: This fee does not cover the costs of services when a student must be referred to other medical personnel or facilities. It also does not provide insurance coverage. We strongly encourage all students to carry insurance to protect you if you are in an accident or have a serious health problem. For information about purchasing insurance through the University System of Georgia, please go to http://www.usg.edu/student_affairs/faq/health/
Technology Fee: This fee is used to purchase instructional technology that directly benefits students. This includes classroom technology like overhead projectors and smartboards, software applications, library databases, and computer hardware. For more information and to see a list of funded projects, visit www.westga.edu/~techfees.
Transportation fee: This fee covers the cost of a vehicle parking permit for each student and the shuttle bus service on campus. The Transportation fee insures that there is adequate parking and that the traffic flow allows students to move through the campus in a timely manner (for example, you may not ride the bus, but because other students do, the campus is less congested and parking is more available for you). Unlike at some institutions, there are no additional parking fees. More information about parking and transportation can be found at http://www.westga.edu/parking/
CampusCenter fee: The state-of-the-art Campus Center provides a place for student activities, informal recreation, intramural sports, personal fitness and wellness activities, meeting friends, and hanging out between classes. It includes a 13,000-square-foot fitness center, aerobics rooms, 2 free-play basketball courts, an indoor track, climbing wall, game room, a ballroom to seat 500 banquet-style and 800 auditorium-style, meeting rooms, the offices of Student Activities and Recreation, and casual seating areas. As a part of your fee, students receive a free Campus Center membership, meaning they have free use of the fitness and game room facilities (faculty, staff, and dependents may purchase memberships). There are no state funds available to build facilities like this, so the 2003-2004 Student Government Association voted to fund this with student fees, following two years of research, including two surveys of students. They believed this was an important investment in UWG’s future. The UWG Real Estate Foundation then financed the $30-million building, with a 25-year payback time, meaning a portion of the student fee goes to pay that “mortgage.” The rest of the fee helps fund the operating costs of the building, including purchasing equipment and paying wages for many of the student staff. For more information on the Campus Center, go to http://www.westga.edu/~campus/
Athletic Complex fee: This fee, new for 2008-2009, will pay for the construction of the new football stadium, soccer field, and softball field. The stadium is expected to open in Fall 2010. The entire project will cost $29 million. No state funds are available for these types of projects. The City of Carrollton donated 280 acres for the project; more than $5 million was raised in private donations; and the 2008-2009 Student Government Association voted to fund the remaining $24 million through student fees, because they believed this project was essential to UWG as the university grows in stature and becomes more of a destination institution for students across the state. The UWG Real Estate Foundation will finance the stadium, and the student fee will pay that “mortgage.”
International Fee: This fee, new for 2008-2009, will help fund “study abroad” experiences for UWG students. Guidelines for applying for funds will be developed and posted in Fall 2009 by the university’s division of Academic Affairs.
