Western Kentucky Raised Athletic Fee To $400 Per Year

ADLER · October 10, 2008

Q) What fees are included in tuition?
A) Included within the tuition rate for the 2008-09 academic year is a Student Athletic Fee of $193 per semester and a $56 Student Centers Fee. The fees are prorated to part-time undergraduate and graduate students on a per hour basis. These fees do not apply to the Distance Learning rates.

WKU President Gary Ransdell is in his belief that football's upgrade is key to a master plan to expand the university's overall reach from regional to national. "It would take us several generations if we were to rely solely on our academic capacity," Ransdell says. "The athletic stage is one of the means through which that vision can be achieved."

Ransdell and Athletics Director Wood Selig have tried to do their homework, incorporating what they've seen work elsewhere and avoiding what hasn't.

"Western Kentucky enacted a $70 per semester hike in student athletic fees so that it can play with the upper echelon of the five non-automatic-qualifying leagues and we can get to bowl games, and we can play teams that our fans relish playing. We can have some magic and some energy in this program."

Kentucky has a 6% state income tax. The school is putting $49 million that it received from the state into the stadium improvements.

All this, and Western Kentucky is still only an NCAA Football Championship Subdivision school preparing to jump to 1-A in the Sun Belt

Meanwhile, North Texas sits at a $3 per credit hour athletic fee, a fee which is supplying what is likely the smallest institutional investment of any Division 1 school in the nation.

A modest increase of $7 per credit hour is being proposed that will help replace an obsolete facility, and even this may not pass.

And people wonder what's wrong with UNT athletics.

ADLER · October 10, 2008

How does that $400 per year Western Kentucky student athletics fee compare with other schools? It's among the lowest.

University of South Alabama ...... $506 per year, $253.00 per student per semester South Alabama Tuition and Fee schedule

South Alabama increased the athletic fee effective this year with intents to participate in Sun Belt football in 2012.

Florida International University......$455.30 per year, $227.65 per student per semester Florida International Fee Schedule

The fee is based on $14.51 per credit hour (at 15 hours) plus a per semester $10 Intercollegiate Athletics Fee. There is a currently a proposal being reviewed by the FIU Board of Regents that would raise the fee $1.46 per credit hour which would raise the athletic fee to $15.97 per credit hour ($249.55 per student per semester, or $499.10 per year)

Florida Atlantic University.....$412.50 per year, $206.25 per student per semester FAU Fee Increase

In 2005 Florida Atlantic Trustees saw the need to raise the athletics fee from $11.75 to $13.75 per credit after a student referendum failed that would have made FAU's athletics fee higher than several other Florida university's. After 3 years in the Sun Belt and the subsequent success of the athletic programs, there is a likelihood that an additional increase will soon be passed.

University of Texas-San Antonio.....$480 per year, $240.00 per student per semester UTSA Today on Athletics Fee increase

The students at UTSA passed a referendum in September 2007 that will raise the athletics fee from $10 to $20 per credit hour for up to 12 hours (capped at a maximum $240 per semester). The increase has since been approved by the University of Texas regents. The increase is designed to enable UTSA to not only start football, but to field a competitive team.

Texas State University.....$600.00 per year, $300.00 per student per semester by 2012 Athletics Fee Increase of February 2008

The Texas State fee is being raised to $20 per credit hour over the next 5 years. (the $300 figure shown above is based on 15 hour courseload)

MTSU doesn't have a set Dedicated Student Athletics Fee. !t is a significant portion of the Program Services Fee which is a maximum of $1398.00 per year at a rate of $59.00 per credit hour, and a maximum of $699.00 per semester. MTSU Bursar's Office

DeepGreen · October 10, 2008

How does that $400 per year Western Kentucky student athletics fee compare with other schools? It's among the lowest.
University of South Alabama ...... $506 per year, $253.00 per student per semester South Alabama Tuition and Fee schedule
South Alabama increased the athletic fee effective this year with intents to participate in Sun Belt football in 2012.
Florida International University......$455.30 per year, $227.65 per student per semester Florida International Fee Schedule
The fee is based on $14.51 per credit hour (at 15 hours) plus a per semester $10 Intercollegiate Athletics Fee. There is a currently a proposal being reviewed by the FIU Board of Regents that would raise the fee $1.46 per credit hour which would raise the athletic fee to $15.97 per credit hour ($249.55 per student per semester, or $499.10 per year)
Florida Atlantic University.....$412.50 per year, $206.25 per student per semester FAU Fee Increase
In 2005 Florida Atlantic Trustees saw the need to raise the athletics fee from $11.75 to $13.75 per credit after a student referendum failed that would have made FAU's athletics fee higher than several other Florida university's. After 3 years in the Sun Belt and the subsequent success of the athletic programs, there is a likelihood that an additional increase will soon be passed.
University of Texas-San Antonio.....$480 per year, $240.00 per student per semester UTSA Today on Athletics Fee increase
The students at UTSA passed a referendum in September 2007 that will raise the athletics fee from $10 to $20 per credit hour for up to 12 hours (capped at a maximum $240 per semester). The increase has since been approved by the University of Texas regents. The increase is designed to enable UTSA to not only start football, but to field a competitive team.
Texas State University.....$600.00 per year, $300.00 per student per semester by 2012 Athletics Fee Increase of February 2008
The Texas State fee is being raised to $20 per credit hour over the next 5 years. (the $300 figure shown above is based on 15 hour courseload)
MTSU doesn't have a set Dedicated Student Athletics Fee. !t is a significant portion of the Program Services Fee which is a maximum of $1398.00 per year at a rate of $59.00 per credit hour, and a maximum of $699.00 per semester. MTSU Bursar's Office

And we wonder why UNT has been stuck in the mud for 30+ years.

akriesman · October 10, 2008

Maybe I have missed something. But, I have yet to see these specific athletic fee numbers from other universities presented to the student population.

Why would we not use specific examples to show how far our athletic funding is below our peers ? This is more of a question than a suggestion. I know that there must be a good reason if we are not doing it.