Athletic Fee Referendum Approved by Students

The results for the Athletic Fee Referendum held at the university have been released, and students voted by a 4-1 margin to increase the Intercollegiate Athletics Fee, starting in Fall 2017. The reason behind the referendum was to help balance the budget, which contains a $3.4 million tuition deficit created by costs associated with intercollegiate athletics not supplemented by the athletics budget.

With the success of the referendum, which passed with 1,687 votes for and 408 against, the supplement from the tuition portion of the university budget would decrease gradually over the next four years, and be used to contribute to the creation of at least 16 different faculty lines to help the university open more classes, with athletics gaining support increasingly from the fund thereafter.

The referendum was intended to raise the current Intercollegiate Athletics Fee from $10.99 per semester credit hour to $32.00 per semester credit hour, an increase of $21.01 per semester credit hour.

Beginning Fall 2017, the new fee only impacts new undergraduate and graduate students, those that are transferring or enrolling for the first time, or students who have selected the one-year tuition and fee plan.

Students on a guaranteed tuition and fee plan, won't have to pay more because of the referendum. The new fee will not take effect for all students until Fall of 2020.

“We are all immensely indebted to our SGA and its leaders, those who formed the special committee to lead this process…. We are also deeply indebted to Dr. Tomás Aguirre and all who work in Student Affairs for their role in ensuring a fair and responsible discussion. We will never agree as to preferred outcomes; we will always insist upon our right to confront together the choices before us,” said President Ray Keck.

The university thanks all of the students that voted in the referendum for their contribution and input.