Board committee votes to increase student fees

Zoom screenshot

The student affairs committee of the Board of Trustees held a public meeting last Wednesday to discuss resolutions to increase the Student Activity Fee at all four of Pitt’s campuses, the Student Wellness Fee at the Pittsburgh campus and the Student Recreation Fee at the Johnstown and Bradford branch campuses.

By Natalie Frank, News Editor

As Pitt prepares for an in-person fall semester, students will see an increase in their fees for activities, wellness and recreation, following a vote by a Board of Trustees committee.

The Student Affairs Committee held a public meeting last Wednesday to discuss resolutions to increase the Student Activity Fee at all four of Pitt’s campuses, the Student Wellness Fee at the Pittsburgh campus and the Student Recreation Fee at the Johnstown and Bradford branch campuses. The fees — which the committee either reduced or delayed increasing this past year due to the COVID-19 pandemic — are now being reinstated and increased.

Kenyon Bonner, vice provost and dean of students, read the resolution to increase the Student Activity Fee. The committee voted to approve an increase in the fee on all of Pitt’s campuses.

Starting this upcoming academic year on the Pittsburgh campus, this fee  — which was reduced 20% due to the COVID-19 pandemic — will be restored and increase from $80 to $100 per term for full-time, non-CGS undergraduate students and from $24 to $30 per term for part-time, non-CGS undergraduate students.

This fee will increase from $24 to $30 per term for full-time CGS undergraduate students and from $12 to $15 per term for part-time CGS undergraduate students on the Pittsburgh campus. The fee will increase the same amount for graduate and professional students on the Pittsburgh campus.

The committee then voted to increase the Student Wellness Fee from $180 to $230 per term for all full-time undergraduate and graduate students and from $90 to $115 per term for all part-time undergraduate and graduate students. The increase — which was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic — takes effect this fall.

The committee voted to increase the Student Recreation Fee on the Johnstown branch campus from $61 to $76 per term for all full-time undergraduate students. The committee voted to increase the fee on the Bradford branch campus from $72 to $90 per term for all full-time undergraduate students and from $20 to $25 per term for all part-time undergraduate students.