Pile of U.S. currency. Photo Credit: Tracy O/Flickr
Paying fees is a normal part of attending any college or university.
These fees fund campus facilities, athletics departments and academic resources that are meant to enhance the overall student experience.
While these are common across institutions of higher learning, how effectively they are used remains a major concern for many students, including those at Kennesaw State University.
KSU’s published fee breakdown shows how and where student funds are distributed. For in-person students, the required fees total $624 per semester, and eCore and fully online students are charged half of that amount.
The mandatory fee includes a $51 health fee, a $211 athletic fee, a $92 recreation center fee, a $3 wellness fee, an $81 sports and recreation parks fee, a $30 parking fee, a $55 transportation fee, a $55 technology fee and a $46 activity fee.
The health fee provides health services for students, such as the student health centers at both the Marietta and Kennesaw campuses. For KSU students, prescription medication is cheaper at these centers than external health clinics.
The athletic fee, the largest fee, supports the Intercollegiate Athletics program.
One of the more controversial fees is the $30 parking fee. Many students argue that having a parking fee on top of a required parking pass is completely unnecessary.
The larger issue is that many students do not believe their fees are being used in ways that directly benefit them or that they aren’t worth the cost.
With KSU’s population of almost 48,000 students, the fees seem high in comparison.
By contrast, other Georgia institutions charge much more than KSU. Georgia Tech has a required fee of nearly $1,496. The University of Georgia has required fees of up to $729.
Still, while KSU’s fees are less expensive than surrounding universities, these required fees are costly on top of tuition, meal plans, parking passes and housing that students have to account for.
Many students cannot afford them and are not eligible for fee waivers.
While tuition fees are a standard part of any higher educational institution, KSU’s mandatory fees are not entirely worth the cost in their current form.
These fees fund important services, like transportation and health clinics, but the lack of transparency and the financial burden placed on students often outweigh the benefits.
KSU must be more transparent to ensure that students clearly see and experience the value of what they are paying for.
