The SIU Board of Trustees (BOT) approved a change in the SIU Carbondale mandatory student fee structure for the 2018-2019 school year and beyond.  They later approved a policy clarification for the 2020-2021 school year and beyond.

What are the Mandatory Fees for Students for Fall 2018 and beyond?

Mandatory fees¹ were traditionally assessed separately, most as per hour fees and a few as flat (fixed) fees.  Starting Fall 2018, nearly all of them were consolidated into a per hour General Student Fee (GSF) that is generally uncapped.  Undergraduate students continue to be separately charged the Student-to-Student Grant Fee, which can be refunded.  Students taking on-campus courses also continue to be separately charged the Student Insurance Fee, which may be refunded.

Starting Fall 2018, similar fee consolidations happened for School of Law and certain School of Medicine students as well, though their new per hour rates are capped at 15 hours per term.

Information about other fees that do not necessarily apply to all students, or that apply only at certain points of the student's time at SIUC, is available here.  Such other fees are not impacted by the consolidation of mandatory student fees noted above.

What does this General Student Fee (GSF) cover?

The GSF for students in on-campus programs differs from the GSF for students in Distance Education programs offered by Extended Campus, both in its benefits and its amount.

The GSF associated with on-campus programs provides the student access to the Student Recreation Center, the Student Health Center, and athletic events, as well as use of the Saluki Express bus service.  The GSF also ensures free access to an attorney for personal legal problems.  Plus it provides for student RSOs, the student-led Green Fund, upgrades and maintenance to campus facilities and the campus computer networks, and other services and obligations necessary to support SIUC's mission and goals.

• The allocation of this on-campus GSF for the just-noted services is detailed here.

The GSF associated with Distance Education programs offered by Extended Campus supports course design, startup costs, instruction and administrative support, and the necessary technological and other infrastructure to support course development and delivery of these programs' courses.²

• The allocation of this Extended Campus GSF for the just-noted services is detailed here.

How does this Impact a Student Taking a Mixture of Courses?

Some students may take both on-campus program courses and a Distance Education course in the same term.³  Effective Fall 2020, in a clarification of campus policy related to the GSF, students who take both on-campus and off-campus/online courses in the same term will pay the on-campus GSF for all of their course hours.

¹ Mandatory fees are fees payable by all students as a condition of enrollment.  Such fees are non-refundable (except for the Student Insurance Fee and the Student to Student Grant Fee).  They are considered institutional in nature and require payment whether or not the student receives direct benefits or is in a location that permits access to such benefits.

² A list of the degree programs offered by Extended Campus can be found here (off-campus) and here (online).

³ On-campus courses have section numbers of 001 to 599 and 700 to 799.  Distance Education courses offered by Extended Campus have section numbers of 600 to 699 and 900 to 999.