Body vetoes hike in fees

A last-minute proposal to increase student fees by $150 was deemed inappropriate by the Student Fee Audit Committee on Monday night.

The proposal — which is still on the table for the Board of Trustees to vote on this week — seeks to create a stable source of funding for merit-based scholarships and athletics.

The 25 percent of logo sales that now fund athletics would be reallocated to fund merit-based scholarships. The loss in revenue for athletics would then be covered by a $150 increase in the athletic fee.

Members of the student committee did not see the realignment of funds as a legitimate use of student fees.

“Student fees aren’t presented as a deal or a trade,” said Student Body Treasurer Natalie Russell. “We examine them based on the services they provide.”

While students recognized that both merit-based scholarships and the Department of Athletics demonstrate sufficient need, they said that increasing student fees isn’t the solution.

“This is a situation of pinning students with an extra financial burden to make up for money lost,” Russell said.

The committee also voiced concern about the time line of the issue, as Judith Wegner, chairwoman of the faculty, presented the proposal just days before the trustees are slated to decide on both tuition and fee increases.

Trustees already are considering a $64.50 student fee increase, which passed through a series of committees charged with researching all options. The athletics fee now taxes students $98.50.

“We are going to have to be careful over the years just how much we are asking in-state and out-of-state students to bear,” said Richard “Stick” Williams, chairman of the BOT. “But considering the goals of the institution, I think this could be a reasonable request to students.”

Wegner developed the proposal in part because of an elasticity study released this year underscoring the importance of increasing merit-based scholarships at UNC.

“We are losing a lot of in-state students that we would like to have to other institutions, and what we hear most often is that it’s because we can’t offer them some kind of merit scholarship,” said Shirley Ort, associate provost and director of scholarships and student aid.

Of all scholarship and aid money awarded for the 2004-05 school year, 4 percent went toward merit scholarships, and the remaining 96 percent funded need-based scholarships.

The total $3,053,340 allowed for 290 scholarships, including the competitive Morehead and Robertson scholarships.

Low coaching salaries and funding shortcomings for Olympic sports teams contributed to a financial need in the athletic department.

“On the balance sheet, there is serious reason for serious concern,” said Student Body President Matt Calabria.

The group ultimately decided that the proposal opposes the purpose of student fees and that sufficient time wasn’t allowed for review.

The Chancellor’s Committee on Student Fees will meet today to finalize the suggestion before the BOT’s Wednesday meeting.

Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.