2008 Woodie Awards
ISU Departments explain class fees
Eryn Lowe
Issue date: 1/25/06 Section: News
- Page 1 of 2 next >
Students register for their classes and can end up paying between $2,000 and over $6,000 for student fees. Then a statement shows up in the mail with additional class and lab fees. So where do all these dollars end up?
Class and laboratory fees go toward the materials and laboratory equipment while semester fees are designated for instructional and facility costs. And while semester fee changes go through different levels of the University and then through the State Board of Education for approval, class fees can be changed regularly by the different departments.
"We don't determine the fees; the departments do," ISU Budget Officer of Financial Services Leo Herrman said. "And costs go up if they need to."
In the Department of Health Professions, the costs of class fees are constantly reconsidered, says Dean of Health Professions Linda Hatzenbuehler.
"We review the fees regularly due to inflation and changes in the class costs," Hatzenbuehler said.
Hatzenbuehler says each fee is set to accommodate for how much the class actually costs the department.
"In general, it's not just taking a figure out of the air," Hatzenbuehler said.
In the dental hygiene program, for example, these fees go toward materials like latex gloves and sometimes even travel expenses.
"We're not making money off of it. It all goes for materials," Hatzenbuehler said.
Dean of the College of Education Larry Harris says the class fees in his department go toward software updates along with background checks of $45 and fingerprint samples of $5. Harris says students have to pay for a background and fingerprint check before heading out into the education field anyway so including these costs in class fees makes the process more convenient for students.
"We're just trying to cover the costs and make it simpler for students. This way they're not having to write two or three checks," Harris said. "And it helps to ensure the students get it done before we send them out to a school district."
Class and laboratory fees go toward the materials and laboratory equipment while semester fees are designated for instructional and facility costs. And while semester fee changes go through different levels of the University and then through the State Board of Education for approval, class fees can be changed regularly by the different departments.
"We don't determine the fees; the departments do," ISU Budget Officer of Financial Services Leo Herrman said. "And costs go up if they need to."
In the Department of Health Professions, the costs of class fees are constantly reconsidered, says Dean of Health Professions Linda Hatzenbuehler.
"We review the fees regularly due to inflation and changes in the class costs," Hatzenbuehler said.
Hatzenbuehler says each fee is set to accommodate for how much the class actually costs the department.
"In general, it's not just taking a figure out of the air," Hatzenbuehler said.
In the dental hygiene program, for example, these fees go toward materials like latex gloves and sometimes even travel expenses.
"We're not making money off of it. It all goes for materials," Hatzenbuehler said.
Dean of the College of Education Larry Harris says the class fees in his department go toward software updates along with background checks of $45 and fingerprint samples of $5. Harris says students have to pay for a background and fingerprint check before heading out into the education field anyway so including these costs in class fees makes the process more convenient for students.
"We're just trying to cover the costs and make it simpler for students. This way they're not having to write two or three checks," Harris said. "And it helps to ensure the students get it done before we send them out to a school district."