New and old students at the U, especially those without scholarships or financial aid, will be paying a good amount of money to attend the flagship institution of Utah.
Many consider it to be the best education for the dollar in the state, but paying tuition and student fees is one thing. Knowing exactly where they go is something totally different.
Regular TuitionTuition is based on a graduated scale, with the first credit hour costing the most, and an increase of $85.90 per hour after that.
For example, tuition for one credit hour at the U costs $326.30. Two hours, however, cost $412.20.
The average full load of 12 credit hours costs $1,271.20 in tuition per semester.
Starting Fall Semester, tuition policies will change. If tuition is not paid by the deadline of Sept. 5, registered classes will be dropped from students’ schedules.
ASUU ActivityThe Associated Students of the University of Utah-the U’s student government-is run entirely on student fees.
Every student, regardless of how many credit hours are taken, pays $20.60 per semester toward ASUU activities and expenditures.
Within ASUU, there are many services which students can utilize (see Page N4 for a complete list).
Student fees are also used to put together activities like Redfest and Rock the Vote, among others.
BuildingEach U student also plays a part in paying back building funds used for academic purposes.
According to administrators, the U borrows money to build buildings, the amount of which is slowly paid back.
The portion of student fees which go toward building funds is also on a graduated scale. For one credit hour, the fee is $23.06 per semester. With each added hour, the fee goes up an additional $3.06.
For those with 12 credit hours, the total building fee is $56.72 per semester. AthleticThe athletic fee is set at $45.26 per semester for students, regardless of credit hours.
The athletic fee allows students to attend all U sporting events free of charge, including home games for the U’s basketball, football and gymnastics teams.
Depending on how many events a student attends in a semester, administrators say the fee is very reasonable.
One administrator even says that the athletic fee is almost like buying a ticket to every game, so not going doesn’t make sense, since the opportunity is there.
Publications CouncilThe Publications Council fee is set for all students at $3.34 per semester.
The council funds all publications on campus, including The Chronicle, which can be picked up free of charge throughout the year.
TransportationThe transportation fee allows all U students-with a U student ID-to ride UTA buses and TRAX for free.
The fee is on a scale, starting at $0.88 per semester for one credit hour, and increasing $0.88 for every additional hour.
For a student with 12 credit hours, the fee is $10.56 per semester.
RecreationThe recreation fee-set at $12.74 per semester for all students-allows U students to use facilities like the Field House and HPER buildings for free.
The buildings include basketball and tennis courts, weight rooms and other exercise-related activities.
HealthAll U students pay a health fee of $12.74 per semester.
“This allows us to provide you with specialized care and to charge less for the majority of our services,” according to the Student Health Service Web site. “Fees are charged for most of our medical care services. Many health promotion services are free. Our fees are typically 40 percent-60 percent less than other clinics in the community,” the Web site says. ComputingThe majority of buildings on campus have computer labs-which are free to use for all U students.
Allowing that privilege, and the maintenance of such labs, comes from a graduated student fee, which starts at $15.48 for one credit hour per semester.
With each additional hour, the fee goes up $5.86.
For a student with 12 credit hours, the computing fee is totaled at $79.94.
Fine ArtsThe fine arts fee is set at $0.92 per semester for all students. The money allows the U’s fine arts program-which sponsors events throughout the year, including plays-to offer student discounts on tickets.
For more information, call the fine arts department at 581-8104.
Fuel & PowerTo keep the lights on and buildings functioning, each student at the U is charged $17.50 per semester for the fuel and power fee.
Usually, the Utah State Legislature sets aside funding to pay for power costs.
However, due to the budget woes of the last few years, the fee was instituted to make up for some lost funding.
TotalsTotal student fees depend on how many credit hours a student takes, and increase at the rate of $9.80 per credit hour.
For a student with one credit hour, student fees are $156.90, while one with 12 hours will pay $264.70 per semester.
The total expenses of attending the U (excluding the price of books and other additional materials) are the student fees plus tuition.
For the average undergraduate student at the U with 12 credit hours, tuition and fees will be about $1,535.90.
All figures are based on the Proposed 2003-2004 Tuition and Fee Schedule for Undergraduate Students in lower division.