Our Context
As a student-powered, sustainable, and fiscally responsible organization, Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) lives the values of care and growth and is fueled by the purpose of transforming lives. Accordingly, ASI aligns, manages, and safeguards fiscal resources to realize the shared vision of engaging EVERY student.
ASI is uniquely situated within the California State University System, more specifically, authorized to serve California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (CPP). The CPP President designated ASI to the Division of Student Affairs. ASI is also connected by system policy and the California Education Code to the Vice President for Administration & Finance/CFO. ASI is recognized by the state of California as a 501(c)(3) and is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of Cal Poly Pomona Student Leaders elected by the student body.
As a CSU student body/center auxiliary organization, ASI is legally bound by the California Education Code and Operating Agreement with the CSU Board of Trustees and CPP campus. Therefore, ASI consults with the university to align with community expectations and operate in conformity with CSU and campus policies.
As a semi-autonomous, enrollment-dependent, student-run auxiliary, ASI is predominantly funded by mandatory student fees paid by Cal Poly Pomona students. The remainder of revenue comes from other sources e.g., memberships, sales, rentals, sub-leases, program fees, and donations.
We Believe
Cal Poly Pomona students and stakeholders expect ASI fees to be as low as possible while receiving high-quality facilities, programs, and services. They expect ASI to manage fiscal resources prudently and professionally, which means stretching student dollars further, not offering students things they do not want, use, or need, and by avoiding any perceived or real conflicts of interest i.e., no ASI director, officer, or employee shall engage in a situation where they derive personal benefit from actions or decisions made in their official capacity.
ASI is expected to provide clear, sensible boundaries and processes, establishing only necessary barriers, while ensuring the long-term fiscal health of ASI. To transform and engage future students of CPP, ASI strategically plans for and maintains adequate reserve and allocation funds, as stipulated by the Board and respective stakeholders.
The CSU makes every effort to keep student costs to a minimum. Fees listed in published schedules or student accounts may need to be increased when public funding is inadequate. Therefore, CSU must reserve the right, even after fees are initially charged or initial fee payments are made, to increase or modify any listed fees.
All listed fees, other than mandatory systemwide fees, are subject to change without notice, until the date when instruction for a particular semester or quarter has begun. All CSU listed fees should be regarded as estimates that are subject to change upon approval by the Board of Trustees, the Chancellor, or the Presidents, as appropriate. Changes in mandatory systemwide fees will be made in accordance with the requirements of the Working Families Student Fee Transparency and Accountability Act (Sections 66028 – 66028.6 of the Education Code.)
More information is available on the CSU Tuition & Fees website.
ASI Fees Breakdown
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? Let’s break it down together.
Common Questions
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.
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).
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.
ASI Money Myths
The Bronco Recreation and Intramural Complex (BRIC) is the reason why tuition keeps going up.
False. The fees that are paid for the BRIC are separate from the General Fund dollars that support the academic program. The BRIC fee revenue cannot be used for classes, professor salaries, or instructional materials.
Students who do not use the Bronco Recreation and Intramural Complex (BRIC) or Bronco Student Center (BSC) do not have to pay for it.
False. Per the California Education Code, all enrolled students are subject to pay mandatory fees.
ASI is out to make a profit.
False. As an incorporated non-profit company and a recognized CSU Auxiliary organization, ASI serves Cal Poly Pomona by managing the BSC and BRIC facilities, overseeing the accounts for student clubs, and administering the Instructionally Related Activities accounts. ASI’s revenue covers the cost of programs and services, operations, and student employment from student fees and is therefore not out to make a profit.
Student leaders are paid a lot of money for their work in ASI.
False. The Senate and Cabinet student leaders are not paid employees of ASI, although they do receive small scholarships. Student leaders spend a minimum of 20 hours per week supporting ASI programs and services, making it difficult for them to have other jobs on top of their academic coursework. The scholarship they receive helps offset the time they could be working elsewhere.