The Texas A&M Board of Regents approved a tuition increase of $2 per credit hour and increases in parking and international student fees and the Independent Study Abroad fee Thursday.
Gates said the new $50 Independent Study Abroad fee is a one-time fee for all students. The fee will allow A&M students to use A&M financial assistance while attending study abroad programs not associated with A&M.
Gates said he asked the board not to raise the fees to show students that administration is accountable to the student body.
Although the student service and computer fees were voted down in a February student referendum, the board still had the power to raise the fees, said A&M President Robert M. Gates.
“A lot of students feel administration doesn’t listen to them. I wanted to send a message that when students vote down a referendum we will listen,” Gates said.
Gates said he hopes students realize that there will be repercussions for not raising the computer fee.
The international student fee increase from $36 to $46 applies only to international students and is necessary to cover the implementation costs of the Student Exchange Visitor Information System, a federal computer tracking system mandated by the USA Patriot Act.
“(Immigration and Naturalization Services) just wants to make sure people who get visas show up where they said they would,” Gates said.�”(Administration) feels that once someone is here we will treat them no differently than if they were from Texas.”
Resident and commuter parking fees are now $141, an increase of $8.
Students had an opportunity Thursday morning to voice their opinions about the fee and tuition increases to the Board of Regents, the highest governing body at A&M. Only one student showed up to do so.
Jessica Daniel, a sophomore psychology major, cited locks on computers and unnecessary signs in classrooms as examples of how the University should spend money more efficiently before raising fees.
“Fees may have to be increased, but maybe if money was spent more efficiently there wouldn’t be (as many) budget problems,” Daniel said.