For next academic year, UTRGV estimates it will collect $12,358,626 in student services fees based on enrollment. However, 55 UTRGV programs have submitted funding proposals totaling $14,421,054, a 15.4 percent difference.
At the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, students pay a $249.96 student services fee per long semester, which is $20.83 per hour capped at 12 credit hours.
Programs funded through the student services fee are based on recommendations of the Student Fee Advisory Committee (SFAC).
The SFAC makes recommendations on the allocations of projected fees to UTRGV President Guy Bailey. Projected fees are based on enrollment.
UTRGV’s enrollment for Spring 2017 is 25,860 and 27,560 for Fall 2016, according to the university’s enrollment reports.
Student services fees are collected for activities that are separate from academic functions and that directly benefit students. The fees help support various programs and departments across the university that serve students.
“It is for programs that directly impact students,” said Cristina Castillo, UTRGV financial manager and SFAC chair. “They’re just programs and services that contribute to the well-being of students or that directly benefit the students.”
Mario Bravo, a computer science junior on the Edinburg campus, said he was not sure what his student services fee paid for.
“I would think buildings and stuff like that,” Bravo said. “Utilities, whiteboards and materials.”
Ivan Morado, a psychology sophomore in Brownsville, said he does not mind paying extra fees if they will provide benefits.
“If I have to pay some extra hundred dollars, then I really don’t mind as long as my financial aid covers it, because college is really expensive nowadays,” Morado said.
Castillo said students sometimes do not realize what the student services fee can fund, but that it is important to inform them.
“I think it’s important to educate our students on what the services are and that, also, they can participate in it,” she said. “It’s not just a few students that make these decisions. They can also be part of this process.”
Funding requests are divided into two sections: ongoing requests and one-time requests. Ongoing are proposals that must be funded with incoming revenue so that they are sustained by the student services fee budget. For Fiscal Year 2018, a total of $14,298,053 was solicited for ongoing requests.
One-time requests may be funded from reserves. The reserve is an account that holds years of funds left over from previous requests, according to Castillo.
A total of $123,000 was solicited for one-time requests.
For next academic year, Athletics requested $8,527,833. This academic year, Athletics received $8,470,582 after requesting $8,495,295 in a 2016 SFAC meeting, according to documents obtained by The Rider.
Shuttle Services solicited $1,324,168 and made a $120,000 one-time request for next academic year. This academic year, Shuttle Services received $606,805 after requesting $1,036,806.
The Shuttle Services’ one-time request will go to a parking and transportation study to try to assess the needs across campus and improve its services.
Student Involvement requested $585,728 for FY 2018; Student Media, $264,573; the UTRGV Food Pantry, $60,612; the Student Government Association, $60,531; and Chess, $415,909.
The SFAC had five new funding requests compared to last year. The Student Service Center asked for $53,845; Academic Advising, $52,500; the Counseling Center-TAO, $24,000; the Residence Housing Association, $6,000; and the UTRGV Concerto Competition, $5,000.
For one-time requests, Brownsville and Edinburg Student IDs each asked for $1,500 to fund GET, a CBORD software that transforms a traditional campus card program into a physical and virtual commerce environment that is convenient and secure, according to the CBORD website.
For a full list of FY 2018 requests, click here.
To view the SFAC FY 2017 recommendations, visit utrgv.edu/sfac.
The SFAC is composed of 11 individuals: nine voting, one ex officio and one chair. An ex officio is a non-voting member of a body. The SGA or Bailey appoints each member of the committee. Five members are students, selected by the SGA, and four are university employees, appointed by Bailey.
Besides Castillo, SFAC members for the 2017-2018 cycle are
–Peter Averack, a student representative
–Louay Bachnak, a student representative
–Jacob Camacho, a student representative
–Joseph Rayner, a student representative
–Allison Burrola, a student representative
–Karla Loya, a university representative
–Marcela De León, a university representative
–Douglas Stoves, a university representative
–Joe Lacher, a university representative
–Frances Rivera, ex officio
Last year, Bailey approved all SFAC recommendations with one exception.
The SFAC recommended reducing the allocation to Athletics by $294,896, or about 3 percent, in order to fund student activities supported by the committee.
Bailey asked that the SFAC’s recommendations “be included in the budget but that revenue above that needed to meet the committee’s recommendations be considered as a source to assist in balancing the athletics budget.”
Castillo said she is working on compiling and finishing the FY 2018 SFAC recommendations for Bailey.
“It is not just a report that we provide,” she said. “There are additional recommendations that are not necessarily monetary, but they are suggestions that [the committee] wants to make to the president about these requests.”
Castillo said she expects to present the recommendations to Bailey in about two weeks.
After they are submitted to the president, visit utrgv.edu/sfac to view the FY 2018 SFAC recommendations.
