Student fee

A student fee or student activity fee is a fee charged to students at a school, college, university or other place of learning that is in addition to any matriculation and/or tuition fees. It may be charged to support student organizations and student activities or for intercollegiate programs such as intramural sports or visiting academics; or, at a public university or college, as a means to remedy shortfalls in state funding. Further fees may then be charged for features and facilities such as insurance, health and parking provision.

United States

Constitutionality of activity fees

In the United States, the constitutionality of mandatory student activity fees has been adjudicated several times by the Supreme Court of [the United States|Supreme Court]. Most recently, the Court has ruled that public universities may subsidize political groups by means of a mandatory student activity fees so long as the manner in which such funds are dispersed are political neutral.
Despite the commentary of the US Supreme Court, most student activity fee funds are today used by-and-large for non-political purposes.

Student fee cases

Rosenberger v. University of Virginia, 515 U. S. 819

''Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System v. Southworth''

Examples

University of New Hampshire

The Student Activity Fee of the University of New Hampshire is relatively unique amongst other comparable institutions of secondary education in that the fee is administered by its autonomous student government, free from faculty or staff advisors. During fiscal year 2019, all undergraduate students attending UNH paid $89 towards their fee.