General Purpose Student Fees will be increasing from $35 per credit hour to $37 per credit hour starting in Fall 2022, a permanent increase.

The 5.4% increase was approved by both the administration and the Associated Student Government (ASG).

General Purpose Student Fees cover student organizations, activities and services such as the Student Wellness Center and Outdoor Program, among many other things.

The fee increase comes with many classes, particular in the Art and Health Sciences departments having their fees restructured.

“What it came down to, is that as a result of declining enrollment, student fee estimates for fiscal year 2022 did not meet the needs for fiscal year 2023,” ASG President Jay Shearrow said.

The COVID-19 pandemic saw enrollment fall at CMU slightly, and introduce more complications with fees as students moved to online classes, which don’t require General Purpose fees to be paid.

Enrollment is currently at a 1% total decline, according to CMU Budget Director Whitney Sutton. Student fee revenue is at a 4.8% decline.

The Maverick Center and the University Center currently use the most student fee money to pay off their debt, which was agreed on over a decade ago, when Colorado District 54 Representative Matthew Soper was Student Trustee in ASG.

One of the biggest fee increases came with the addition of a course fee for the Electrical Distribution Lab as part of the Electrical Line Worker program at Western Colorado Community College, where the $2,636 fee will cover the standard toolkit and safety equipment that students can continue to use after graduation.

Students or groups can appeal a proposed fee assessment up until May 21, 2022 at midnight. An appeal must include the reason for the appeal, an alternative proposal and a petition supporting the appeal containing both signatures and student ID numbers of at least 3% of the student body, which is around 244 students. The proposal should be submitted to the Vice President of Student Finance.

CMU will still have the lowest student fees of all 4-year colleges in Colorado.

“I think that speaks to ASG stewardship of maintaining the peace and not aggressively spending. I think they’ve done an excellent job year over year of managing those budgets,” Sutton said.

Fees may increase further next year.