The Echo

By Paige Gabriel
assistant news editor

Tuition and fees increased six percent from last year.
The maintenance fee went up $112 this year bringing the total maintenance fee per student per semester to $1,986
Chuck Cantrell, assistant vice chancellor university relations, said that the increased maintenance fee went towards teacher salaries.

"The state funded 3 percent increase in teacher salaries and the university funded the 2 percent addition, which is being used to cover merit pay and equity adjustments," Cantrell said.

The debt services fee increased $40 this year for a total cost of $150.

Debbie Parker, the associate vice chancellor, explained why some of the fees were increased.

"The debt service fee is two fold," Parker said. "The increase is to pay for the wellness center but the total debt services fee is for two facilities, the University Center renovation costs and the second phase of additions to the wellness center."

Last year the student body voted to implement the $10 green fee and the $25 student health fee was approved. This is the first year students have had to pay either of these fees.

Cantrell said, "[The green fee] was implemented at the request of the students. There was an election held and overwhelmingly the students voted for the fee."

Parker said, "I know that they wanted to purchase green power and they also wanted some recycling initiatives increased.

"I think we've done some recycling in the past but it's kind of fallen by the wayside, and the fee is supposed to increase those initiatives.

"As far as the student health service fees, that is going to increase the hours of operation and increase the services provided to students," Parker said.

"There are some services that students can use student health for that are free and there are some services that there is a nominal fee that they pay. There's also going to be some money that is going to go the counseling center too for the mental health areas."

This is the first year the university has required students to pay a $25 lab fee for certain lab classes.

"They are course driven and are meant to cover some of those consumable costs for a lab," Parker said. "For instance if you are in an art class it may be the easels, it may be the chalk, it may be the live model."

Coti M. Howell, a Franklin Tenn. senior, was not surprised that tuition and fees increased this year.

"I guess now that it's my senior year I'm just used to tuition going up every year," Howell said. "It sucks but there is nothing that I can really do about it."

Kelly McDermott, a Soddy Daisy Tenn. sophomore, would prefer that his money be spent on things that will directly affect her.
"I would like my money to go towards what I am doing in school," McDermott said.

"I don't really think that I should have to pay for something that I am not going to use and that doesn't have anything to do with my education."

Matt Willoughby, a Ringgold Ga. junior, supported the increase in teacher pay.

"If the teacher quality is high then I don't have a problem with the increase," Willoughby said.

Howell also supports the increase in tuition to pay for teacher salaries.

"I think that we have some good professors here and they don't get paid nearly enough for what they do so I think that's a good fee," she said.

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