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Students question whether mandatory fees should pay for athletics and services many graduate students don’t use
Summary
Graduate and professional student leaders and many written commenters argued mandatory fees that subsidize athletics and other campus services are inequitable for graduate students who rarely use those services and suggested targeted fee waivers or alternative funding sources.
Several commenters told the Board that mandatory fees that support intercollegiate athletics and undergraduate‑focused services are inequitable when applied uniformly to graduate students who do not use those programs. Pooja Bhagawat, President of the Graduate and Professional Student Senate, asked the Board to consider whether benefits are being shared equitably and suggested that faculty and staff who also benefit indirectly could share a portion of the cost.
"Many graduate and professional students... do not attend athletic events and therefore do not receive the 'direct' benefits from these fees," Bhagawat wrote in submitted comments, adding that the benefits graduate students receive are primarily "indirect." Commenters proposed reallocating contributions, creating exemptions for primarily research‑focused students, or expanding targeted graduate financial supports as alternatives to a blanket fee increase.
The presentation by administration explained fee uses including student health and transit, but commenters asked for clearer fee breakdowns and evidence that increases would align with graduated usage across student populations.
