Alexis Cavalli, Lion’s Eye Staff Writer, acc5407@psu.edu

Penn State students will no longer have to pay three separate fees, on top of tuition, as President Eric Barron and the administration passed the Student Initiated Fee set to be implemented this upcoming fall.

Currently, Penn State students pay a Student Activity Fee, Facilities Fee and a Technology Fee which equate to an additional $992 a year along with tuition. This rate is flexible and usually rises every year in order to compensate for department spending.

The new fee will allow money to be efficiently separated into four categories which include Student Activities, Facilities, Recreation and Services based on need.

“We are constantly finding new initiatives to improve our campus, but sometimes these considerations do not fall into the standard categories,” Olivia Shiner, Brandywine’s Student Government President, said. “One example, is the unprecedented funding request from the Student Activities Fee for a psychiatrist at Brandywine. The new fee structure will allow less ambiguity when allocating funds that best fit.”

The new proposal does not include a Technology Fee because technology is now considered to be a part of the classroom experience. Therefore, that fee does not qualify to be separate from academic essentials. Barron has decided to separate out that fee but will keep tuition the same by paying the fee down with a dollar-for-dollar transfer into tuition.

As for the Student Governments, who have spent so much time and energy advocating this bill, they are excited to finally see it passed.

“I think that this fee is extremely beneficial. With this new structure put into place we now know we can just pay one straightforward fee instead of two or three separate fees,” Alex TenBroeck, Council of Commonwealth Student Government Southeast Caucus Director & Mental Health Ad Hoc Committee Director said.

Again, the new Student Initiated Fee will be implemented Fall, 2016.