Student Fees

ASI Fees Breakdown

The COVID-19 pandemic has had significant impacts on many of those in our campus community, including cutbacks and job losses. It’s likely the notion of sacrificing a college education has crossed our students’ minds, or perhaps they’ve considered temporarily postponing college until things get better. At the heart of this issue is money. So why do students have to pay “mandatory” fees such as the ASI fee and the ASI Facilities & Operations fee to attend CPP? Why do such fees exist and what purpose do they serve? And, why do students have to pay mandatory fees when not on campus during this crisis? Let’s break it down together.

WHAT IS A MANDATORY FEE?

Mandatory student fees pay for programs, services, and spaces that students decided they wanted and imposed fees on themselves and future students at Cal Poly Pomona. Traditionally mandatory fees are initiated and adjusted by students through a student referendum. Similar to community-based taxes, all current students vote in a student referendum to self-impose mandatory fees so they can have campus amenities e.g., student representation and governance, student clubs and organizations, non-classroom student buildings, and services and programs designed for them based on their needs during their time at Cal Poly Pomona.

Mandatory fees can also be initiated by Alternative Consultation, which is a process used when the university president determines a fee referendum is not the best mechanism for appropriate and meaningful consultation with students. For example, in 2010, the alternative consultation process was used to determine if students supported funding the construction of the student recreation center, now called the Bronco Recreation & Intramural Complex (BRIC). The alternative consultation process for the Student Recreation Center Initiative was done by giving presentations and polling incoming freshmen at summer orientations in 2010, rather than a traditional referendum of the entire student body, as this was the first group of students anticipated to be affected by the fee increase because the recreation center would take four years to construct. The majority of the polled freshmen were supportive of a fee increase to pay for the facility. The ASI Senate and Fee Advisory Committee recommended a fee increase of $140 per quarter for a new student recreation center effective with its opening in fall 2014.

WHY DO SUCH FEES EXIST AND WHAT PURPOSE DO THEY SERVE?

Cal Poly Pomona (CPP) has six mandatory student fees: the ASI fee, the ASI Facilities & Operations (F&O) fee, the Health Medical Facility fee, Student Health fee, Instructionally Related Activities fee, and the Student Success fee. CPP annually allocates the revenue from the ASI fee and the ASI F&O fee to the Associated Students, Inc., a non-profit corporation governed by a student board and run by part-time student employees and professional staff. The ASI mandatory fees cover the cost of student representation and governance, funding for student clubs and organizations, student services and programs, and debt payments and other expenses to construct and run the ASI-operated facilities: Bronco Student Center (BSC) and Bronco Recreation and Intramural Complex (BRIC).

WHY DO STUDENTS HAVE TO PAY MANDATORY FEES WHEN NOT ON CAMPUS DURING THIS CRISIS?

During the COVlD-19 crisis, ASI representation and governance, student club and organization activities, and ASI programs and services have been moved online, which still costs money. Student leaders are working remotely, and student programs and services are available online or through other virtual methods so students can still access them while learning off campus. Beyond staffing, expenses for online programs and services includes contracts with artists, performers, and vendors; software and digital infrastructure; and costs associated with making content accessible.

Additionally, even though ASI facilities were temporarily closed, the operating costs and bond debt payments to cover the cost of construction do not go away. And maintaining clean, safe, and up-to-date spaces is essential for when students return to campus. Funds to pay for these costly projects are planned for and paid from the ASI reserve funds, which is where any unspent revenue is captured. Examples of recent and future projects include: BSC Air Handler Replacement Project $2M, BRIC Swimming Pool Restoration $400K, Games Room Etc. Additional Seating $152K, and July 2020 BSC restoration from water damage caused by a broken pipe during the COVID-19 building closure $TBD.

WHY DO ASI FEES SLIGHTLY INCREASE EVERY YEAR?

The University ASI Fee and ASI F&O fees are adjusted annually by the Higher Education Price Index (HEPI), an inflation index designed specifically to track the main cost drivers in higher education. HEPI is a more accurate indicator of changes in costs for colleges and universities than the more familiar Consumer Price Index (CPI). Each year, HEPI adjustment must be finalized far in advance before the start of a new academic year. Once approved, the rates cannot be changed because they are tied to financial aid calculations. The current rates were approved before COVID-19.