Student Activity Fee
Encyclopedia
A student fee is a fee
charged to student
s at a school
, above and beyond the normal tuition
and matriculation
fees. These may be charged for general student activities, for supporting student media
and other student organizations, for intercollegiate or intramural sports or academics, or as a means of making-up for a shortfall in state funding
at a public college (often called a technology fee). Other fees may be charged to students, such as for insurance
and health
(such as a school nurse
), and optional fees such as for parking
.
of mandatory student activity fees has been adjudicated several times by the Supreme Court of the United States
. Most recently, the court has ruled that public universities may subsidize campus speech by means of a mandatory student activity fee so long as fees are allocated to groups with viewpoint neutrality. See Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System v. Southworth .
Fee
A fee is the price one pays as remuneration for services. Fees usually allow for overhead, wages, costs, and markup.Traditionally, professionals in Great Britain received a fee in contradistinction to a payment, salary, or wage, and would often use guineas rather than pounds as units of account...
charged to student
Student
A student is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. In some nations, the English term is reserved for those who attend university, while a schoolchild under the age of eighteen is called a pupil in English...
s at a school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
, above and beyond the normal tuition
Tuition
Tuition payments, known primarily as tuition in American English and as tuition fees in British English, Canadian English, Australian English, New Zealand English and Indian English, refers to a fee charged for educational instruction during higher education.Tuition payments are charged by...
and matriculation
Matriculation
Matriculation, in the broadest sense, means to be registered or added to a list, from the Latin matricula – little list. In Scottish heraldry, for instance, a matriculation is a registration of armorial bearings...
fees. These may be charged for general student activities, for supporting student media
Student media
Student media may refer to:*Iranian students news agency*Student newspapers*Student radio stations or programs*Student television stations*Yearbooks*Online Magazines, Ezines, or Webzines...
and other student organizations, for intercollegiate or intramural sports or academics, or as a means of making-up for a shortfall in state funding
Funding
Funding is the act of providing resources, usually in form of money , or other values such as effort or time , for a project, a person, a business or any other private or public institutions...
at a public college (often called a technology fee). Other fees may be charged to students, such as for insurance
Insurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
and health
Health
Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain...
(such as a school nurse
School nurse
A school nurse is a nurse assigned to work in a school.Schools have nurses to promote good health in students, and in preparation for illnesses and emergencies in students.Some places have laws requiring schools to have nurses.-Duties:...
), and optional fees such as for parking
Parking
Parking is the act of stopping a vehicle and leaving it unoccupied for more than a brief time. Parking on one or both sides of a road is commonly permitted, though often with restrictions...
.
Constitutionality of activity fees in the United States
In the United States, the constitutionalityConstitutionality
Constitutionality is the condition of acting in accordance with an applicable constitution. Acts that are not in accordance with the rules laid down in the constitution are deemed to be ultra vires.-See also:*ultra vires*Company law*Constitutional law...
of mandatory student activity fees has been adjudicated several times by the Supreme Court of the United States
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
. Most recently, the court has ruled that public universities may subsidize campus speech by means of a mandatory student activity fee so long as fees are allocated to groups with viewpoint neutrality. See Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System v. Southworth .