Beware of Hidden College Fees

Transit Fee: Students at Washington State University pay a $15 transit fee each semester that funds transportation in Pullman, Wash., where the college is located. The fee also supports an on-campus shuttle system. Transit fees traditionally bolster both local and on-campus transportation initiatives.

Library Fee: At Georgia State University, students pay a $35 per semester library fee that allows for continual improvements to be made to the campus library. Some improvements include expansion of group study rooms, more workspace, advanced technology, an enhanced special collections section and areas to encourage collaborative learning and instruction.

Athletic Fee: Athletic fees, generally, support a school’s sports programs. The University of Hawaii at Manoa, for example, recently instituted a $50 per semester athletic fee that funds scholarships for student athletes. The funding is intended to support their travel, athletic supplies and other expenses. A portion of the revenue is also set aside to fund general student activities.

Laboratory Fee: Oftentimes, students taking a science course that utilizes a school’s lab facilities will have to pay extra for it. Boston University, for example, charges part-time students taking certain computer or science courses a fee that varies depending on the course’s laboratory use in conjunction with coursework.  The fee can cost as much as $200 per class.

Additional reporting for this article was provided by Laura Moran.

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