Student Fee Procedures

[Procedure] Last Updated: July 2001
Prior Manual Number: 1-20

The following student fees are a part of the graduated fee structure, subject to the purview of the President's Fee Study Committee, and require Board of Trustees approval.

  • Athletic Fee I & II
  • Busing Fee
  • Graduate Colloquium Fee
  • Grants-in-Aid Fee
  • Health Insurance Fee
  • Law Fee
  • Revenue Bond Fee (Field House, Convocation Center, Stadium, Holmes Student Center, Recreation Facility)
  • Student Activity Fee
  • Student Bar Association Fee
  • Student-to-Student Grant (refundable)
  • University Health Service Fee

A proposal to increase/decrease the above listed student fees, which are a part of the graduated fee structure and are subject to the review and recommendation of the President's Fee Study Committee and approval by the Board of Trustees, requires:

  • That consultative processes occur seeking the advice and recommendations of properly appointed advisory bodies when the fee is an assessment to meet required bonded indentures (e.g. Bond Revenue Fee), or the fee supports essential institutional services (e.g. Health Service Fee, Holmes Student Center portion of the Bond Revenue Fee).
  • That consultative processes occur seeking the advice and recommendations of properly appointed advisory bodies (i.e. fee review committees) when such bodies have been established to review fees directly related to student sponsored/operated activities (e.g. Busing Fee, Student Activity Fee, etc.).
  • That a student referendum be conducted when the fee is directly related to student sponsored/operated activities and the consultative process has not been established for review of proposals to increase/decrease the student fee(s).
    Students retain the right to petition to initiate a referendum within four weeks of the presentation of petitions bearing the signatures of five (5) percent of the members of the NIU Student Association. (Referenda related to fees assessed to a limited portion of the student population are to be conducted by the appropriate student governing organization for the affected student population.) The Student Association is also charged with the responsibility for conducting referenda related to the establishment of new fees to be assessed to the general student population.
  • That the proposal to increase/decrease the student fee(s) as recommended by the properly appointed advisory bodies (see 1 and 2 above) or the results of student referenda (see 3 above) be submitted to the president of the University and to the vice president of the area having responsibility for the programs funded through the collection of the specific student fee(s).

At the president's request, the President's Fee Study Committee reviews the proposal(s) to increase/decrease these student fees. The committee may request additional data (e.g. from the Division of Administration and Finance) and may request those representing the organization initiating the proposal(s) to appear before the committee. Upon completion of its review, the committee forwards its recommendation(s) to the president.

  • Proposals to increase/decrease these student fees require Board of Trustees approval and are presented by the president to the Board of Trustees for their consideration. Note: Board of Trustees regulations require that Board action to increase/decrease student fees be accomplished a minimum of three months prior to that time that the increase/decrease is to become effective. Only under special circumstances may the Board of Trustees waive this requirement.
  • The percentage distribution of the aggregate income derived from the collection of these student fees is approved by the president. Recommendations to change the percentages used in determining the dollar amounts received by the various funded cost centers are submitted to the Division of Administration and Finance which prepares recommendations for the president's review and approval. Consultation with the Student Association as well as with those cost centers affected by a proposed change is an integral part of the recommendation process. When a proposed change in the percentages used in disbursement affects a cost center for which a student governing body or organization has responsibility for controlling that fee (i.e. Busing Fee, Student Activity Fee, Student Bar Association Fee), the change requires approval of the appropriate student governing body or organization. The president may request review by and recommendations from the Student Association, the President's Fee Study Committee, etc. when considering changes in the percentages used in disbursement of the aggregate income.

The following student fees are not subject to the review and recommendation of the President's Fee Study Committee, but require Board of Trustees approval: 

  • Application Fee (e.g. College of Law Admission Application)
  • Changes in Program Fee
  • Doctoral Dissertation Fee
  • Enrollment Certification
  • Graduation Fee
  • Late Registration and/or Late Payment Fee
  • Room and Board Fee
  • Technology Fee
  • Transcript Fee
  • West Campus Fee
  • Any other fee which is mandatory for admission or graduation

The above listed student fees fully, or at a minimum partially, off-set expenses incurred in providing the programs/services for which they were established. The internal unit (e.g. department, office) which provides the programs/services for which these student fees are assessed determines and recommends to the vice president to which it reports the specific dollar amount to be assessed. That vice president reviews specific recommendations received and presents the recommendations to the president of the university.

Proposals to increase/decrease any of these student fees require Board of Trustees approval and are presented by the president to the Board of Trustees for their consideration. Note: Board of Trustees regulations require that Board action to increase/decrease student fees be accomplished a minimum of five months prior to the time that the increase/decrease is to become effective. Only under special circumstances may the Board of Trustees waive this requirement.

Questions as well as recommendations to increase/decrease these student fees should be directed initially to the internal unit which provides the programs/services.

The following student fees are neither subject to the review and recommendation of the President's Fee Study Committee nor require Board of Trustees Approval.

  • Admission Charge
  • Athletic User Fee
  • Duplicate Schedule Fee
  • Examination Fee (Testing)
  • Gate Charge
  • Late Examination Fee
  • Library Fines
  • Locker and Towel Fees
  • Material Fee
  • NIU OneCard Fees
  • Non-Credit Program Registration Fee
  • Orientation Fees
  • Outdoor Education Fee
  • Parking Fee (i.e. Parking Permit)
  • Refrigerator Charge
  • Rental Charge
  • Replacement Charge
  • Returned Check Fee
  • Supplies Fees
  • Surcharge (excluding Law School Surcharge)
  • Test Fees
  • Traffic Fines
  • Yearbook Fee
  • Other Voluntary Fees

The above listed student fees fully, or at a minimum partially, offset expenses incurred in providing the programs/services for which they were established. The internal unit (e.g. department office) which provides the programs/services for which these student fees are assessed determines and recommends to the administrative unit (e.g. college dean, vice president) to which it reports the specific dollar amounts to be assessed.

Questions as well as recommendations to increase/decrease these student fees should be directed to the internal unit that provides the programs/services or to the vice president for Administration and Finance.

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