After numerous trips to ask the Board of Regents for continued funding, the UW-Eau Claire Student Senate voted unanimously to continue Blugold Commitment differential tuition last week.

The student-approved fee that supports immersion experiences, course availability, faculty position and financial aid grants comes in the form of four $300 charges to all undergraduate students once a year.

However, after a tuition freeze at the 2013 rate, the last charge has been suspended. This makes the total yearly charge $900.

The Spectator Editorial Board discussed whether the fees were too high.

One member said there is no fee change in sight.

They said there is not very much support from the student body, and it has been pushed by the administration.

“This is a good example of the heavy-handedness of the administrators,” the member said. “If they want to do something, they’ll do it.”

The speaker said it’s an illustration of the competition among higher education institutions.

“It’s an unveiling of the benevolent image that higher institutions paint themselves as,” the speaker said.

The member said Eau Claire’s form of differential tuition isn’t much better than other universities, which simply impose the tution.

The speaker said they do not believe the fee will be increased anytime soon.

The Spectator Editorial Board voted 4-3 that the fees are too high.

 

The staff editorial reflects the majority opinion of the Editorial Board and is written by the Op/Ed Editor. Columns, cartoons and letters are the opinion of the author/artist and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Spectator as a whole.