101.0 Fines & Fees

Owned by Chad
Last updated: May 21, 2021

As stewards of the students dollars it is important that we ensure the funds students provide are used in a reasonable and proper manner to advance their education. Course fees (including lab fees) should not be used as a substitute for tuition increases, or to fill budget shortfalls.

GUIDELINES: Generally, Course fees should be charged when there is a tangible end product retained by the student, or has extraordinary costs. Examples of appropriate uses include the following:

  • Group travel costs such as gas and mileage reimbursements not including food
  • Admission and rental fees to off-campus educational facilities
  • Rental or use fees for specialized equipment used exclusively for instruction
  • Off campus field trips or specialized equipment and facilities use
  • Private instruction such as one-to-one study with an instructor for music performance
  • Expendable materials such as:
    • Materials of a specialized nature not readily available in retail stores.
    • Materials that can be purchased by the department in large quantities at significant cost savings to the students
    • Materials that must conform to certain specification and be identical for all students
    • Expensive materials needed by each student in such small quantities that they could not normally be purchased economically in such quantities
    • Technology expense fees that are beyond the expected basic technology services as defined by the university
    • Selected expenses such as:
      • Art class models for hire, musical accompanists, and mock patients for clinical practice classes.
      • Supervisory instruction (including travel) for in-context training classes such as onsite student teaching, social work practicum and clinical experience
      • Refundable deposits for expensive equipment or apparatus that is temporarily entrusted to the students’ care

INAPPROPRIATE FEES: Fees may not be charged for the cost of graduate assistants or adjuncts who are:

  • Instructors of record
  • Course fee balances should not be carried forward from year to year except where accumulation is necessary to replace bulk supplies and/or specialized equipment

EXTERNAL USER FEES: 

  • Fees must be competitive with market
  • Fees may not be discriminatory
  • Room rentals must have approval of the university planning office to determine if there is a possible conflict with public vs. private use
  • Academic units may not engage in activities managed by self-support auxiliary operations (such as parking, vending, leasing space, etc.)

For more information about the process, please see the procedures manual.

For more information about the tuition, fees and fines policy, please see PSU's board policy.