Student fee increases endorced by ECU board
(Dec. 13, 2002) — The Board of Trustees at East Carolina University has endorsed a $54 yearly increase in student fees to take effect for the 2003-04 school year.
The fee increases, which were proposed for a number of areas including student health, student media, education technology and athletics, will now go to the University of North Carolina Board of Governors for final approval.
The $54 increase represents a 4.63 percent increase from the current total of $1,167. The new annual total under the proposal would be $1,221.
Student fee proposals were developed by university administrators in consultation with leaders from the Student Government Association.
Tuition rates for 2003-04 will be set next year by the North Carolina General Assembly next year.
The board, meeting on campus on Dec. 13, also approved a new parking plan for ECU students and employees.
Key elements of the new plan include:
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o Establishing different parking zones at various locations, with the closest spaces to core areas carrying higher prices.
o Reducing the “oversell” of permits, so that permit holders will be relatively assured that they can find a space.
o Adding more metered, short-term parking on the main campus and at the medical campus.
o Improving transit shuttle routes with extended service hours and additional routes.
o Generally increasing parking fees.
George Harrell, senior associate vice chancellor for campus operations, said the fee increase is driven by an anticipated loss of $350,000 in Parking and Transportation revenues as a result of a court decision which requires all parking fines statewide to be turned over to local school systems.
Because state law prohibits the use of state funds for parking construction or operations, parking activities at ECU and other state agencies must be self-supporting.
The cost of a mid-range permit, now at $120 per year, is proposed to go to $144 a year, effective July 1, 2003. The most expensive permit would be $288 a year. Currently spaces in private lots sell for $360 annually.
Harrell said the new fees should provide enough revenue so they would not have to be changed for about four years.