On Thursday night, Kansas State’s student senate introduced a resolution opposing a $70 per credit hour fee for online classes and appealed for its elimination or reduction next semester, citing financial burden on students.
While the $70 per credit hour fee replaced the previous $123.79 undergraduate and $148.70 graduate online class fees, it now applies to 34 percent of classes now held online.
“The Global Campus Fee has never applied to the volume of classes that it does today,” the resolution draft reads.
The resolution figures the average in-state student, with two out of five classes online, would see an approximate increase of $420 per semester.
The course fee saw pushback from students earlier this semester. University officials responded, saying the fee funds technology infrastructure improvements, faculty salaries and training.
However, the resolution draft stated the university administration has not provided adequate information as to where revenue from this fee is used.
“The Kansas State University Student Governing Association (KSU SGA) opposes the $70 per credit hour fee being applied to online classes and requests its elimination or, at a minimum, substantial reduction for the 2021 spring semester,” the resolution reads.
The resolution also requests a presentation from the administration detailing what the fall fee revenue has funded by the end of the 2020 fall semester.
As for the spring semester, Tel Wittmer, student body president and senior in secondary education, said while it is still unclear, his understanding is that next year will likely have a comparable proportion of classes online, subject to the online fee.
“From what I understand, it is going to be similar to this semester,” Wittmer said.
The resolution will be voted on by the student senate next week.
Student senate will reconvene at 7 p.m. on Oct. 29 via Zoom.
