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TAMU > Finance > Tuition and Student Fee Administration Standards > Non-course/Program Specific Student Fees Approval Process

Approval process for Student Fees that are not Course Specific

Approval process for Student Fees that are not Course Specific (called also "fee(s)" or "student fee(s)" in this document)

All student fees which are covered by the Texas Education Code must be routed through the Student Fee Review Committee in order to analyze, coordinate and recommend appropriate action on all requests for new or modified student fees and to ensure there is adequate documentation for fee calculations and residual balances.

Each fall requests for new or revised non-course/program specific student fees go through an internal review process. The first step in this process is a formal submission of the intent to establish or revise a fee. The statement of intent must include an estimated amount of the fee and the justification for the fee and must be routed to the Student Fee Review Committee through the appropriate vice president.

The Student Fee Review Committee shall conduct an initial review of each submission. Suggested items for review are:


Statutory authority
Justification
Income and expense budget
Budget impacts and cost drivers
Residual balances
Student impact
Student input
Technical feasibility
Cost to administer

Once an initial review of submitted fee requests has been completed, the Student Fee Review Committee coordinates with the Student Government Association (SGA) and the Graduate Student Council (GSC) to host open forums for the purpose of obtaining student feedback on all fee proposals. All proposals for new or revised student fees must be presented at each of these forums.

The following guidelines have been established for student input and feedback:

  1. Fee Increases 3% or less
    1. Must present to Student Senate/Graduate Student Council for informational purposes
    2. SGA/GSC will not take a position on the proposed fee increase
    3. Referendum: not required
  2. Fee Increases greater than 3% but less than or equal to 10%
    1. Must present to Student Senate/Graduate Student Council
    2. SGA/GSC will take a position on the proposed fee increase
    3. Referendum: not required
  3. Fee Increases greater than 10% (with overall cost to students < $5.00/semester)
    1. Must present to Student Senate/Graduate Student Council
    2. SGA/GSC will take a position on the proposed fee increase
    3. Referendum-legislatively mandated: required
    4. Referendum-not legislative mandated: not required
  4. Fee Increases greater than 10% (with overall cost to students > $5.00/semester)
    1. Must present to Student Senate/Graduate Student Council
    2. SGA/GSC will take a position on the proposed fee increase
    3. Referendum-legislatively mandated: required
    4. Referendum-not legislatively mandated: SGA/GSC will conduct university-wide student survey
  5. New Fee
    1. Must present to Student Senate/Graduate Student Council
    2. SGA/GSC will take a position on the proposed fee increase
    3. Referendum-legislatively mandated: required
    4. Referendum-not legislatively mandated: SGA/GSC will conduct university-side student survey

After student feedback has been gathered, the SGA and GSC will prepare formal position papers and forward those reports to the Student Fee Review Committee. The Committee will then determine formal recommendations. These written recommendations will be forwarded to the President for action.

Fees which are endorsed by the President will be submitted to System in January each year in preparation for formal Board of Regents approval.

Fee requests are generally considered by the Board of Regents at the March Board meeting.