University of South Carolina Libraries
VOL. LXII - NO. 90 University of South Carolina, Columbia, S. C. 29208 Thursday, July 13, 1972 USC fee By SCOTT DERKS The cost of going to USC will rise in the fall -- for some as much as $25. While the Board of Trustees waits for ap proval of a record $59.5 million budget by the state legislature, they have approved fee hikes affecting housing, parking and regular student fees. Harold Brunton, vice president for student affairs, defended the hikes as necessary, ex plaining that the rapid expansion, new con struction and services and inflation have forced the changes. This fall all students, resident and non resident, will experience a $10 jump in academic fees to help cover the cost of the soon to-be opened health center. "By law the Health Center must operate on a break even basis," Brunton said. "It is no secret that students didn't use the infirmary except for certain things, but with the new facility and a completely new staff the cost must go up. There has been a 300 per cent in crease in personnel alone," Brunton said. Each student will now pay $20 per semester for Health Center services. Part-time students will also be asked to carry a heavier financial load, while the definition of a full-time student has been altered from nine hours to 12 hours. In-state undergraduates will be charged $22 per hour and graduate students, perpetually the most undernourished group on campus, will have a rate change from $20 per hour to $25. Non-resident part-time fees have been jacked up to $40 (undergraduates) and $50 (graduates) per semester hour. Brunton explains that student opposition of a Dancer Dianne Sondheimer goes through warm-ups in preparation for the USC theater production of Oklahoma now being per formed at the Civic Auditorium at Myrtle Beach. See story pages 4, 5. s going up, $10 hike in Woodland Terrace, UT and Carolina Gardens has already brought about a com promise. "We modified our approach because of student concerns." Rates at Carolina Gardens and Woodland Terrace will go up $5 per month now and $5 more effective January 1. University Terrace students will have a $10 raise but will be given a free parking decal in the parking garage since Health Center construction has eliminated much of the UT parking. The International House will be the only dormitory that will not have the rates changed. The room rental costs will jump from $5 in McBryde Quadrangle, Maxcy, Preston, Towers, McClintock, Sims, Wade Hampton, South and South Tower; $10 in the Horseshoe, Thornwell and Woodrow and the Roost while Bates House and the American plan will go up a whopping $28 per semester. Brunton said that by state law, funds can not be allocated from the state for housing. "Housing must operate on a break even basis and we had to either change the rates or cut down on what we are doing," Brunton said. He was quick to add, "and I know that we can't do much below what we are doing now." The Housing office did finish in the black this past year but a 12 per cent wage increase for custodial workers went into effect July 1 and coupled with inflation is expected to increase housing costs next year. In addition the University is spending several hundred thousand dollars on renovations this year -- including the painting of the South Tower for the first time since its construction. Housing rates -- affecting about 7,000 students -- will also be going up five or ten dollars. New rent rates have already gone into effect in up, up married student housing. Transcripts will even cost more -- $3. The fee schedule for parking has been drastically changed in some areas to "make parking available close to the campus and get maximum usage, maintain rates lower than comparable commercial rates and maximize income to finance Parking Revenue Bonds," according to Brunton's list of objectives for the Trustees. The one-year-old parking garage on Blossom Street will experience a 200 per cent hike in semester rates. It will now cost $40 per semester to park in the garage -- doubling last year's fee -- while the per year fee (including summer) will move from $50 to $75. Brunton explains that the garages in the city charge $144 a year hinting that $75 is a bargain. Student decals, which Brunton refers to as a "hunting license" because about 3,000 of the stickers were sold last year for 1,000 student registered parking spots, will cost $15 a year instead of $10 or $10 a semester rather than $5. The parking meters on Bull Street and in the Russell House lot will all cost five cents more per hour this fall, but-some parking fines are slated to be reduced. "The decals, meters and the garage will be going up because this is the only way to raise money to provide more parking," Brunton said. "The trustees felt we had held out on raising parking rates too long and they thought we should go further than we did." Brunton said that with increased fees the University will be able to add more decks to the garage and add more parking. "There is no other way to get money for parking. It is a self-supporting activity," Brunton explained. !")"!"a""! }e:: ::::... ..i:"" " t":ii: 1f i."" > i ."