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Changing Student Fees

Have you ever wanted to make a change to the student fees we pay? As graduate students, we have a significant amount of power over our student fees. If you are a student, and you would like to make a change to the fees that graduate students pay (e.g.., create a new fee, or increase, decrease, or get rid of an existing one) then here is the process you will need to follow:

  1. Take a look at our current student fees.
  2. Write a proposal for a ballot measure for the change you would like to make. You will need to follow these guidelines.
  3. Submit your proposal to GSA before our October meeting. If your proposal will also make a change to undergrad student fees, you will need to submit it to ASUCM as well.
  4. GSA will vote on whether to accept your proposal. If we accept it, we will submit it to the Referenda Fee Committee (RFC).
  5. The RFC will work with you to make sure that your proposal and ballot language is clear, fair, and in accordance with university policy.
  6. If approved by the RFC, your proposal will be on the spring GSA ballot. If your proposal will also make a change to undergrad student fees, then graduate students will only vote on the change for graduate students, and undergrads will vote on the change for undergrads through the ASUCM election process.
  7. Per the RFC guidelines, the proposal will be approved if a minimum of 20% of the eligible population (based on the campus official enrollment statistics as of the third week of classes) votes in the election, and a simple majority (50%+1) votes to approve it.
  8. The referendum results are subject to final approval by the UC President.

For more information on the student fee referendum process, see https://studentaffairs.ucmerced.edu/dean-students/student-fee-referenda. If you are interested in getting involved with student fees in another way, consider serving on the Referenda Fee Committee or the Student Fee Advisory Committee.