ASUNM bill would raise undergrad fees

ASUNM senators are considering a bill that would raise undergraduate fees by more than 30 percent.

Senate Bill 6, a constitutional amendment proposed by senators Brandyn Jordan, Tyler Crawley, and Anthony Santistevan, would raise ASUNM student fees from $20 to $27 per student next year.

If the bill is passed by the full Senate, it will go to undergraduates for a vote in the elections. A simple majority would be required to pass the bill. The fee increase would be the first since fees were raised from $14 to $20 in 2002.
Sen. Crawley said the bill would raise the amount of money available to allocate to student groups in the ASUNM budget process.

“We want to be able to have funding for appropriations as well as have room to grow, room for these student organizations to expand.”

The number of requesting student organizations has been on the rise in recent years. This year 147 student groups are requesting $745,711 in funding. Last year, organizations only requested $719,798. ASUNM only has $583,050 to allocate, leaving a $162,661 shortfall.

Crawley said the fee increase would fully fund all requests.

“With that the best educated guess I can give you of what the fund will increase by is probably anywhere from $160,000 to $180,000.”
New dorm construction and renovation on campus will bring about 11,000 students to campus next year, all of whom need to be served Crawley said.

“We want to be able to provide a high level of on-campus living to the 11,000 students that are coming on campus next year and help them get involved.”

Additionally, the bill would reduce the percentage of funding allocated to Student Publications, which provides funding for the Daily Lobo, Best Student Essays, and Conceptions Southwest. The bill cuts the percentage received by Student Publications from 8.5 percent to 6.4 percent.

Crawley said the dollar amount of funding to Student Publications would remain the same next year.

“It doesn’t give them any more or any less money, it maintains it right around $50,000,” he said.

The bill is up for debate in front of the full Senate on Wednesday night at 6 p.m. in rooms Lobo A and B on the third floor of the SUB. If the bill passes, it will require approval from the Board of Regents.