It’s important to research student fees. By inspecting fees, students can avoid payment surprises and make informed financial decisions. There are 28 student fees at Ohio University, and some don’t apply to students within the OHIO Guarantee+ Program.
As of September, OU has been named the best value public university for the fifth consecutive year. In recent years, OU has ensured affordability and student success by using the OHIO Guarantee+ Program to provide “level-rate tuition, housing, dining and fees locked in for 12 consecutive semesters.”
Fees are additional charges that cover the cost of services and facilities within the college or university. These fees can vary depending on the school and degree program. For OU undergraduate students, the fees that are paid range from instructional and general to parking permits and violations.
The University Registrar explains that semester fees include instructional and general. Within a webpage, it states “Ohio University reserves the right to make, without prior notice, any fee adjustments that may become necessary.” Assuming that this only applies to instructional and general fees. Fees are also increased because of tuition increases.
In June, the Ohio University Board of Trustees passed resolutions increasing tuition and fees for the fiscal year 2024-2025. As tuition increases, the costs of room and board and meal plan prices rise for freshmen and sophomores at the Athens campus.
The 3% increase in tuition and fees does not apply to OHIO Guarantee+ students. The increase, however, does greatly affect non-Guarantee+ freshmen and sophomores living on campus using Housing or Culinary Services.
In the Board of Trustees Agenda from June 13 and June 14, there is a highlighted breakdown of increased totals that were aimed to be set in motion in the fiscal year 2025. In Housing alone, there was a 9.6% increase in standard single and doubles and a 10.6% increase in a renovated double along with a 12.6% increase in a suite double/triple. These apply to non-Guarantee+ students.
In the previous 2023-2024 school year, Housing and Residence Life had to consolidate dorms, such as Adams Hall, to allocate for a large influx of students. As stated in an email from Housing and Residence Life in March 2023, “For the 2023-2024 academic year, each room in Adams Hall will be designated as a triple space.”
This is an example of a time when the university accepted a large number of students and because of the influx, had to raise tuition and fees for the substantial incoming class.
In addition to the Board of Trustees' resolutions to increase tuition and fees, there could be a common thought as to where student fees are going once paid.
The Budget Planning Council released the Fiscal Year 2025 Meeting Materials Oct. 7. The Budget Book for FY25 breaks down OHIO Operating Units that represent the core units of the institution, one of the four is Auxiliary Units. Auxiliary includes Intercollegiate Athletics, Culinary Services, Housing & Residence Life and Transportation & Parking Services. That is where a chunk of student tuition and fees go as a means of funding.
At OU, there are waivable fees such as the Student Health Insurance and the Student Legal Service. These fees are shown on the MyOHIO Student Center once registration charges have been made for the term or the semester. These fees often go unnoticed as students may not check the Student Center frequently before the waiver date. If fees have increased in the past year, they can increase further due to the general inflation rate.
Students need to research their institution's fees to better understand where their money is going and how fees affect an overall total payment. If OU students check their My OHIO Student Centers frequently, then they can avoid surprises that could result in late fee penalties and increasing payments.
Daphne Graeter is a junior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnist do not reflect those of The Post. What are your thoughts? Let Daphne know by emailing her at dg422421@ohio.edu.
