U of M Grad Student Fees

The current fees system is unsustainable for graduate students

Thank you for this. It will surely reduce lot of burden.

Fees are one of those hidden costs that comes with grad school. We all know we will get our tuition paid for in addition to our stipend, but we aren't told that fees need to be paid out of the already bare-bones stipend. My fees run approx. $1700 annually (more than 2 months' rent). I want to prevent new graduate students from experiencing the intense financial burden that I've experienced due to these fees.

I strongly support this petition. The fees go towards facilities that are not beneficial to the graduate student population as much as they are to the undergaduates. Other fees like shuttle transportation services? That also makes no sense. Graduate students live a different student life on campus that is not the same as undergraduates. It is also a very high fee considering how small our stipends are.

I find the fees opaque and a frustrating burden considering how much they have risen since I joined in 2011

#3

Dear university administrators, I know you don't want grad students to suffer. I know your intentions are entirely noble. I know when you make $2000 magically disappear from our accounts every year you do it not out of any malaise but for the greater common good. After all, if we have all this excess money won't we become irresponsible consumerists! And won't our consumption put additional burden on Earth's rapidly depleting resources contributing to deforestation, desertification, depletion of water sources, air pollution etc. etc. I know your actions stem from your well-founded anxiety about climate change which you right believe has a direct correlation with the consumption practices of grad students. Understandably, you don't want to contribute to bringing the tipping point closer by encouraging more consumption on our part. While I admire your efforts to protect life on our vulnerable planet and your courage in standing up for your principles even in the face of widespread grad student, and even faculty, discontent; I feel duty-bound to remind you that we do not necessarily share your lofty ideals. I know how disappointing it is for you to hear this, but we, sir/madam, are a morally compromised generation. Given to selfishness and purely instrumental rationality befitting the Homo Economicus that we all are, any effort on your part to make us behave responsibly by tightening our belts is unfortunately bound to fall flat on your face. So please, stop wasting your time and energy in trying to redeem our compromised souls and let us continue on the path of despicably extravagant lifestyles. Please put that $2000 check in my account asap. Yours truly, Lalit Batra

The recent increases in student fees are unsustainable and create a tremendous burden for graduate students. Fees should not be permitted to increase without commensurate increases in graduate student salaries.

Student fees now account for approximately 10% of my salary as a graduate instructor. This is an incredible pay cut, compounded by the timing of feed: billed before my first paycheck of the semester, this means that my entire first paycheck must be handed over in fees, or I will be subjected to the $35 poverty tax that the administration terms the "payment plan fee." When I entered my deaprtment and accepted by funding package, fees were not mentioned anywhere in my acceptance documents nor are they mentioned in my semesterly employment contracts. This lack of transparency leads to a situation in which the total value of funding packages is seriously misrepresented to incoming students. Fees have doubled in the last few years, while GA wages have stagnated. It is beyond time for the university to address this.

Student fees do put a large financial burden on graduate students, particularly the requirement that the entire fee be paid in full at the start of the semester.

Yes, these fees are ridiculous.

My department has been very generous in providing funding and tuition waiver. Nevertheless, as a mature student, living on 13-14k per year for the seven to eight years required to develop the high-level skills of my subject has been extremely challenging and frankly a bit unrealistic for an older student such as myself with certain other levels of financial commitment, and has resulted in large student loan debt. To then claw back about one month's income in unspecified student fees seems unreasonable.

Unlike undergraduates, many of us are not seeking out loans to cover our student costs and do not have our parents to rely on to take care of our academic-related costs. We are dependent on whatever funding we are provided with and so are depending on this funding to cover these unexpected and unnecessary fees. It is incredibly inconvenient and can be up to 10% or more our entire graduate student stipend for the year.

#1 was in place at an institution that I attended previously, and it made fee payment much less of a financial burden.

fees are getting out of control

12 years ago Featured

point 1 is especially important for students whose first paycheck isn't enough to cover the cost of fees...students shouldn't have to pay twice by paying late fees or loan interest!

Point 3 would allow the university to be more competitive by allowing an increased income for students.

"Grad student fees currently account for nearly 10% of my stipend. It would be very helpful to have have point 3 enacted."

Thank you for this

Thank you all for this effort!