By C.G. Lynch
As Northeastern balloons to the top 5.9 percent of universities with the most expensive tuition fees in the country, some students are looking for a consolidation and greater efficiency in money allocation.
Students who live on campus are currently paying a $28 Resident Student Fee (RSF) per semester. However, some Student Government Association (SGA) officials and residents believe programs funded by that respective fee could be consolidated under the standard Student Activities Fee (SAF).
The RSF, administered by the Resident Student Association (RSA), is geared towards hall council programs and activities for Resident Assistants.
With the SAF covering approximately 80 programs on campus, Michael Benson, SGA’s vice president for financial affairs, said the activities funded by the RSF closely mirror that of the student fee.
“To program and advocate for residents, that seems to duplicate [the fees],” Benson said. “I do sometimes question if the Student Activities Fee could take over the RSA fee.”
Some students living in residence halls said they are wondering the same thing.
“I’m a financial aid kid,” said Reena Leone, a sophomore who lives in Davenport B. “Putting them together would be much more beneficial for me. Generally, I’m doing more student activities anyway than ones in the dorm.”
In the freshman residence halls, students echoed Leone’s comments, deeming the RSF as extraneous.
“I would eliminate it, because what happened with student fees this year,” said Amy Gangadharan, a freshman pharmacy major who lives in Stetson West.
Other students acknowledged while activities in the residence hall are important, they often go unattended or unnoticed.
“We really didn’t see it much unless we tell RAs what we want,” said Jana Ryan, a freshman nursing major who also resides in Stetson West.
While Benson questioned the practicality of a separate fee, he mentioned that RSA has communicated and been responsive to the financial affairs office at SGA.
“They are responsible for distributing it,” he said. “This year, RSA has been quite cooperative.”
Until recently, RSA had a vacancy in their slot for vice president for finance, a job that will be filled next year by Elliot Inz.
Inz defended the separate fee and said he saw no need for consolidation.
“It hasn’t come up in the past [merging the two fees],” Inz said. “It’s been working so far. We do campus wide programs widely geared towards residents that live on campus.”
For now, both fees are slated to remain on students’ bills for the 2004 calendar.
