Miscellaneous Course Fees

1. Policy Effective August 23, 1996, campus fees shall be established, adjusted, collected, and refunded according to Executive Order No. 661, and any applicable provisions of the law; statutes; Title 5, California Code of Regulations; Standing Orders of the Trustees; and revenue bond indentures which may be outstanding.

2. Fees Established Prior to Executive Order No. 661 Campus fees which were duly established pursuant to Executive Order No. 661 are to continue in effect until adjusted or repealed pursuant to Executive Order No. 661. The campus fees which shall continue, include the fees established or adjusted in the executive orders which were superseded by Executive Order 661.

3. Trust Miscellaneous Course Fees
   Students may be charged for instructional materials, activities or facilities only in the following instances:

   1. Instructional materials which have a personal benefit in addition to academic value.
      Personal benefit means that the student receives a tangible product of some intrinsic value (a value external to the course itself). The determination to establish a charge must consider the fact that funds are allocated for instructional supplies in the General Fund and are intended to cover the basic requirements in all courses.
      • The campus president (or designee) shall determine those courses which involve the student receiving such tangible products.
      • The student may be charged only for the actual or pro rata cost of the materials involved.
      • The student must have the option of obtaining the materials necessary from any source, as long as the materials meet the instructional requirements.
      • The student must retain in some form the materials for which there is a charge. Either the materials or the product produced from them must have a tangible value which can be demonstrated to be external to the course.
      • The student should not be charged for basic materials related to a course.
   2. Field Trips Students may be charged for certain costs involved with the conduct of field trips. The following are the only costs associated with field trips that may be required of students:
      • Expenses incidental to the field trip such as meals, lodging, and other personal expenses.
      • Entrance fees to shows, exhibits, etc.
      • Actual or pro rata cost of the use of a vehicle.
   3. Use of non-state supported or off-campus facilities and equipment
      This charge is designed to apply particularly to courses in Physical Education and Recreation. However, it is understood that it may apply in other instances, particularly in connection with field trips (see above).
      • The charge must be associated with a course taught by a campus faculty member at non-state supported or off-campus facilities and/or utilizing rented equipment.
      • The charge must not exceed the actual or pro rata cost of the students' use of the facility or equipment.
      • No portion of the charge may be associated with costs of providing a qualified instructor for the course.
   4. In all cases, the following conditions apply
      • Courses which involve charges must be identified in the General Catalog, and the specific amount stated in the Class Schedule and course syllabus.
      • Funds received from charges must be deposited and maintained in the campus' local trust accounts in accordance with Education Code, Section 89721(g), and must be used precisely for the materials, activities, or facilities for which the charge was made.
      • The student must have the option of using services or materials which meet the instructional requirements from a source other than the University.

4. Establishment of a new fee.

   Proposals for new fees are subject to Executive Order No. 661. Submit one application for each charge (See Exhibit 1) to the Student Services Fee Committee.

   1. If materials, activities or facilities are the same for two or more similar courses, only one application need be submitted.

   2. If materials, activities or facilities differ between sections of the same course, separate applications should be filed for each section.

   3. Once a miscellaneous course fee is established, applications need to be resubmitted only if a change in data (materials provided, activities or facilities) require the preparation of a new application which must be routed through all channels.

   4. Requests for implementation of charges or changes in charge amounts must be processed in time to include information in the General Catalog, Class Schedule and Course Syllabus. In most cases this means the semester prior to the proposed implementation or change in charge amount.

   5. All receipts and expenditures will be made through cash trust accounts (no funds for this or a related purpose may be deposited through the Foundation).

   • The Accounting Office will assign appropriate account number codes and will notify the trust administrator using an e-mail notification (see Exhibit 2).

   • To ensure compliance with this policy, reviews of expenditures will be conducted periodically.

For more information regarding miscellaneous and other fees, please click here.