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ABAC 7.3.2.1 -- Student Fees

The following sections are institutionally-specific addenda to Section 7.3, Tuition and Fees, of the Policy Manual of the University System of Georgia, Board of Regents.  They are not intended to, nor shall they, supersede or circumvent Board of Regents Policies.

Student Fees (Student Fee Committee)

Proposed additions, changes, or deletions to amount or purpose of Student Fees (see definition below) shall, before submission to the USG for approval, be presented for advice and counsel to the Student Fee Committee, which shall be under the direction of the Vice President for Finance and Operations.  Student Fees to which this policy pertains include:

1.       Access fee (Gold Card fee),
2.      Athletic fee,
3.     Health fee,
4.     Public Safety fee,
5.     Student Activity fee, and
6.     Technology fee.

Committee Composition

The President, or his designee, shall appoint a Mandatory Fee Committee (MFC) consisting of ten (10) persons to include the following:

1.      The President of the ABAC Student Government Association (SGA),
2.      Four (4) students to be selected by the President of the SGA (at least one part-time student and one full online student),
3.     1 student member to be appointed by the President,
4.     2 non-student members to be appointed by the Vice President for Finance and Operations,
5.     1 non-student member to be appointed by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, and
6.     1 non-student member to be appointed by the Vice President for Technology (CIO).

Responsibilities

Proposal Process for changes in any Student Fee: Once per year, and prior to submission for BOR approval, the SFC shall provide review, advice, and counsel regarding the proposed mandatory fees. The Vice President for Finance and Operations shall be responsible for the timely preparation of the proposed mandatory fees and shall be responsible for convening the SFC and presenting the proposed fees to be considered by the BOR for the coming year.

The student members of the SFC, under the direction of the Dean of Students, shall be responsible for the solicitation of student input prior to the meeting of the SFC.

The Vice President for Finance and Operations shall provide a written report to the President on behalf of the SFC regarding the proposed mandatory fees.  The President shall present the proposed mandatory fees to the Cabinet for consideration. Upon Cabinet approval, the mandatory fee proposal shall be forwarded to the BOR by the Vice President for Finance and Operations.

Allocation Process for All Additional Student Fees.  The Vice President for Finance and Operations shall be responsible for preparation of budgets resulting from assessment of mandatory fees (excluding Student Activity Fees). Annual student fee budgets shall reflect debits and credits to appropriate reserve accounts.

The Vice President for Finance and Operations, in concert with appropriate persons, shall establish guidelines and processes for the expenditure of mandatory fees in keeping and support of the mission of the College. Guidelines for the expenditure of these funds shall be in keeping with all College and BOR policy and in keeping with relevant state and federal law.

Student Activity Fees

In 2013, through a process that involved input from students, faculty, and administrators, ABAC developed a structured (tiered) approach to the allocation of funds received from Student Activity Fees.  The goal was to develop an allocation model that:

1.       Funds a range of current and future student activities that meet the student life and learning environment needs of students,

2.      Provides a simple and transparent allocation process that meets BOR and ABAC policy requirements with respect to allocation of SAF, and

3.     Assigns fiscal accountability and responsibility to the deans for the expenditure of funds for Student Activity Funds that are associated with certain co-curricular activities.

Revenues received from Student Activity Fees are allocated to three (3) categories:

1.       Category 1 - Budgeted reserves - to be used to support capital needs in support of student activities.  Management for this budget category shall reside with the Vice President for Finance and Operations.

2.      Category 2 – Institutional programs - salary, benefits, and operating funds to support student activities associated with SGA, Intramural and Recreational Sports, Ambassadors, Aquatics, Campus Activity Board (Interclub Council), Wellness Centers, Forest Lakes Golf Course, Phi Kappa Phi, Phi Theta Kappa, Student Publications, Student Radio Stations, and license fees.  Management for this budget category shall reside with the Dean of Students.

3.     Category 3 - Academically-allied student activity programs - programs that are tied directly to academic programs.  Management for this budget category shall reside with the Academic Deans.  Qualifying criteria for Category 3 are:

a.      Clubs, teams, groups, etc. linked directly with the offering of an academic program, and
b.      Clubs, teams, groups, etc. that are linked to regional or national organizations that have collegiate education as a part of their mission, and
c.      Clubs, teams, groups, etc. that contribute to at least one of the following: leadership, career development, or scholarship.

The Vice President for Finance and Operations and the Dean of Students maintain a list of the organizations approved to receive funds within each of the categories listed above.

Student Activity Fee Allocation Committee

The President, or his designee, shall appoint a Student Activity Fee Allocation Committee (SAFAC) consisting of ten (10) persons to include the following:

·         The President of the ABAC Student Government Association (SGA),
·         Three (3) students to be selected by SGA,
·         One (1) non-student member to be appointed by the Vice President for Finance and Operations,
·         One (1) non-student member to be appointed by the Dean of Students,
·         One (1) non-student member to be appointed by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, and
·         Three (3) student members to be appointed by the President.

Student Activity Fee Allocation Process 

The Vice President for Finance and Operations shall be responsible for preparing the proposed Student Activities Budget, in accordance with the aforementioned allocation model.   The annual budget shall be based upon best available projected revenue information.   The annual budget shall reflect debits and credits to the Student Activity Reserve Account.  Then, the Vice President for Finance and Operations, working with the Dean of Students, shall convene the Student Activity Fee Allocation Committee and seek its approval of the budget, in accordance with BOR and ABAC policies.

The student members of the SAFAC, under the direction of the Dean of Students, shall be responsible for the solicitation of student input prior to meeting when the SAFAC will take action on the proposed budget.  The Vice President for Finance and Operations shall report to the Cabinet on the actions and recommendations of the SAFAC during annual budget development.

At the end of spring semester and before closure of the fiscal year, the Dean of Students, working with the Vice President for Finance and Operations, or his designee, shall prepare a final report on the expenditure of Student Activity Funds.  The report shall include budgeted amounts, actual revenues, actual expenditure, and reserves on hand in accordance with the four (3) funding categories.