By SUSAN JONES
Students at Pitt’s regional campuses will see fee increases this fall to meet a variety of needs.
The fee hikes for Greensburg, Johnstown and Bradford were approved by each school’s student government board and recommended by the Board of Trustees Student Affairs committee before being passed by the full Board of Trustees on April 4.
Greensburg
The Student Center Fee, which has not increased since 2009, will be going up $20 per semester for full-time students to $100 and $8 for part-time students to $40.
The fee is used to fund the operation of Chambers Hall, which contains the main dining facility, Student Life & Success offices, and primary indoor athletic facilities. The fee also funds the operation of the game room, front desk services, gymnasium, fitness center, commuter lounge, student government and student activities board offices, the mailroom, and lounge/dining spaces.
Johnstown
The Recreation Fee, which was increased two years ago to support the new campus eSports program and to lease new cardio equipment, is going up again starting this fall.
The Trustees approved a $20 increase for full-time students, raising the fee to $110 per semester. Part-time students, who were not paying any Recreation Fee, will now pay $55 per semester.
The fee increase will provide money to enhance physical recreation opportunities such as intramurals, fitness and wellness classes, strength-training equipment replacement and improved technology in the Wellness Center.
Bradford
Students at Bradford will see increases in three different fees — Wellness, Parking and Transportation and Student Activity. The resolutions from Student Affairs said the mandatory student fees at Pitt–Bradford have not been increased in several years and are currently lower than those at all other regional campuses.
The total increase per semester for full-time students is $75 and $15 for part-time.
The Wellness Fee is set to go from $75 to $90 per semester for full-time students. The fee currently generates about $145,000 annually. The increase would provide about $30,000 more annually and help offset the costs of running the Student Health and Counseling Services, which are budgeted at $400,726.
The Parking and Transportation Fee has not increased since it was initially set at $40 per semester for full-time students and $20 for part-time in 2012. The fee is used to offset the cost of the Area Transit Authority (ATA) bus contract expense, charter buses for Pitt-Bradford students to Pittsburgh to participate in the Buses Home for the Holidays program, and renewal and replacement of the parking lots. The fee generates approximately $75,000 annually. The total cost for the ATA bus contract alone is $70,000 annually, with total parking and transportation-related expenditures averaging $136,000 over the past three years. The board approved an increase of $10 for full-time students and $5 for part-time.
The Student Activity Fee, which was last increased in 2015, is set to go up by $50 to $150 per semester for full-time students and by $10 to $30 for part-time students. The fee is for student activities and services, and generates approximately $185,000 annually; however, expenditures average approximately $200,000 annually. For FY22 and FY23, the Student Government Association had a surplus due to the pandemic, which was used to offset the deficit, but that surplus is now depleted.
Susan Jones is editor of the University Times. Reach her at suejones@pitt.edu or 724-244-4042.
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