Post by FIUFanatic on Jun 28, 2004 13:11:50 GMT -5
Interesting article about how the legislature approved a "loophole" to increases in fees that benefit both FIU and FAU. Below is the reproduction of the article written on today's Sun Sentinel by Jennifer Peltz with a link to the story as well. What do you think?:
www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-ppsportsfee28jun28,0,4099278.story
Loophole lets schools raise sports fee
By Jennifer Peltz
Staff Writer
Posted June 28 2004
Trying to curb the rising cost of a state university education, legislators set limits two years ago on student fees that had sometimes increased faster than tuition.
But athletic ambitions -- mostly Florida International University's -- punched a loophole in those limits this year. A new law lets state universities skirt the fee cap to help pay for changing competitive divisions, as Miami-based FIU and Boca Raton-based FAU aim to do.
Thanks to Gov. Jeb Bush's signature this week, the universities now can raise sports fees by up to $2 per credit, if their trustees and student-staff fee committees approve. The increase would come to $48 per year for a full-time student taking 12 credits per semester.
It's a sizable increase in fees that now range from less than $2 to almost $12 per credit and have been held down by the cap imposed in 2002. It limits the total of athletics, health, activity and service fees to 40 percent of current tuition and limits the total increase in fees to 5 percent a year.
With tuition rising yearly, the cap is a moving target, but FIU argued it was too tight for universities to grow into football's top-tier Division I-A. Both FAU and FIU are making inroads toward I-A, though their football squads are less than four years old.
The National Collegiate Athletic Association requires I-A schools to offer extensive scholarships, and moving to Division I-A often raises travel, coaching and other expenses. The average 1-A program cost $20 million in 1999, the last year for which NCAA figures are available. The average I-AA program cost $5.4 million.
But many university administrators and students see the expense of a prominent sports program as an investment in student interest, alumni loyalty and image, especially in a state known for football.
As a former Miami Senior High School football coach, "I saw a lot of kids leave our state [to play Division I-A football elsewhere]," said state Rep. Ralph Arza, R-Hialeah, who steered the sports fee proposal in the House at FIU's request. "I don't like to see our talent leave."
FAU officials haven't discussed the increase, which would add about $1 million to next year's $10 million sports budget, said finance chief Kenneth Jessell. FAU's fees already are the highest in the state system, to trustees' and administrators' chagrin.
But FIU is set to raise its sports fee this fall, said finance chief Paul Gallagher. The increase accounts for $1.3 million of the university's proposed $13 million sports budget for next year, when football costs are expected to rise from $2.5 million to $4 million, he said.
The fee increase will help add two more football coaches, about 35 more scholarships for football players and other athletes and as many as four more staffers to an academic help center, Gallagher said.
"Once we get more known, we're going to be able to raise more private funds," he said. "[In the interim,] you need a solid base of funding, and the student fees are a base."
The sports-fee increase will come as tuition rises 7.5 percent for in-state undergraduate students, and more for others, on top of an 8.5 percent or higher increase last year. The university wasn't able Friday to provide a total of this fall's tuition and fees.
But many students will happily pay to play I-A, says former student government president Clayton Solomon.
"Athletics is a direct investment in the student life of the university," he explained.
But some legislators opposed the sports-fee plan as the latest in a line of piecemeal increases. It came as some universities were floating a new technology fee of as much as $100 per semester.
"I don't have a problem with [universities] raising money to pay for programs, but every year they come forward with these new bills tacking on additional fee after additional fee," said Rep. Kenneth Gottlieb, D-Hollywood.
Jennifer Peltz can be reached at jpeltz@sun-sentinel.com or 561-243-6636.
www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-ppsportsfee28jun28,0,4099278.story
Loophole lets schools raise sports fee
By Jennifer Peltz
Staff Writer
Posted June 28 2004
Trying to curb the rising cost of a state university education, legislators set limits two years ago on student fees that had sometimes increased faster than tuition.
But athletic ambitions -- mostly Florida International University's -- punched a loophole in those limits this year. A new law lets state universities skirt the fee cap to help pay for changing competitive divisions, as Miami-based FIU and Boca Raton-based FAU aim to do.
Thanks to Gov. Jeb Bush's signature this week, the universities now can raise sports fees by up to $2 per credit, if their trustees and student-staff fee committees approve. The increase would come to $48 per year for a full-time student taking 12 credits per semester.
It's a sizable increase in fees that now range from less than $2 to almost $12 per credit and have been held down by the cap imposed in 2002. It limits the total of athletics, health, activity and service fees to 40 percent of current tuition and limits the total increase in fees to 5 percent a year.
With tuition rising yearly, the cap is a moving target, but FIU argued it was too tight for universities to grow into football's top-tier Division I-A. Both FAU and FIU are making inroads toward I-A, though their football squads are less than four years old.
The National Collegiate Athletic Association requires I-A schools to offer extensive scholarships, and moving to Division I-A often raises travel, coaching and other expenses. The average 1-A program cost $20 million in 1999, the last year for which NCAA figures are available. The average I-AA program cost $5.4 million.
But many university administrators and students see the expense of a prominent sports program as an investment in student interest, alumni loyalty and image, especially in a state known for football.
As a former Miami Senior High School football coach, "I saw a lot of kids leave our state [to play Division I-A football elsewhere]," said state Rep. Ralph Arza, R-Hialeah, who steered the sports fee proposal in the House at FIU's request. "I don't like to see our talent leave."
FAU officials haven't discussed the increase, which would add about $1 million to next year's $10 million sports budget, said finance chief Kenneth Jessell. FAU's fees already are the highest in the state system, to trustees' and administrators' chagrin.
But FIU is set to raise its sports fee this fall, said finance chief Paul Gallagher. The increase accounts for $1.3 million of the university's proposed $13 million sports budget for next year, when football costs are expected to rise from $2.5 million to $4 million, he said.
The fee increase will help add two more football coaches, about 35 more scholarships for football players and other athletes and as many as four more staffers to an academic help center, Gallagher said.
"Once we get more known, we're going to be able to raise more private funds," he said. "[In the interim,] you need a solid base of funding, and the student fees are a base."
The sports-fee increase will come as tuition rises 7.5 percent for in-state undergraduate students, and more for others, on top of an 8.5 percent or higher increase last year. The university wasn't able Friday to provide a total of this fall's tuition and fees.
But many students will happily pay to play I-A, says former student government president Clayton Solomon.
"Athletics is a direct investment in the student life of the university," he explained.
But some legislators opposed the sports-fee plan as the latest in a line of piecemeal increases. It came as some universities were floating a new technology fee of as much as $100 per semester.
"I don't have a problem with [universities] raising money to pay for programs, but every year they come forward with these new bills tacking on additional fee after additional fee," said Rep. Kenneth Gottlieb, D-Hollywood.
Jennifer Peltz can be reached at jpeltz@sun-sentinel.com or 561-243-6636.
