Upon enrollment, all Stony Brook students are required to pay the Student Activity Fee. The money students collectively pay are used to fund most on-campus clubs, organizations and events; any club meetings, events or concerts held on campus; any food that may be served at these events; and any newspapers students may read.
After remaining the same since 2002, the student activities cap was raised to $250 from $200, a change was voted in by the Student Assembly and approved by SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher. This increase will go into effect during the 2013-2014 academic year.
Some students, like junior sociology major Muhammed Krubally, are against the $50 increase.
“I feel like I already pay too much,” he said. “I don’t want to pay the extra $50 because I don’t feel any of this benefits me.”
The Undergraduate Student Government, on the other hand, believes the increase is justifiable.
“We had an increase in the number of clubs and also some of our expenses are increasing,” USG Treasurer Allen Abraham said. “To accommodate for that, we needed more money.”
USG believes that if students pay more, they will get more.
“We hope to fund more clubs and increase the funding of clubs and also increase the funding of our program departments and put on more programs and improve student life on campus,” Abraham said.
It has come to USG’s attention that many students do not fully accept the increase, but the members believe students are not fully aware of what the fees are responsible for.
“I just hope that the students know that this is what pays for the clubs, the concerts, and all the events that basically happen on this campus is paid for by the student activity fee,” Abraham said.
