FAQs

What is the Student Service Fee Advisory Board's Purpose?

The Student Service Fee Advisory Board is responsible for reviewing requests to increase existing allocations or requests to create new allocations of the Student Service Fee to out-of-class student programs and services and providing recommendations on the disposition of the same to the Vice President for Student Affairs, who is responsible for approving, disapproving or adjusting all Student Service Fee allocations.  Once approved, the responsibility for oversight and administration of the Student Service Fee allocations rests with the Vice President for Student Affairs.

The Board is also responsible for reviewing requests to increase the Student Health Center Fee, Recreational Sports Fee and University Center Fee and providing recommendations on the same to the Vice President for Student Affairs.

Who can serve on the Student Service Fee Advisory Board?

Any Texas A&M University undergraduate or graduate student who is currently enrolled for not less than six (6) semester hours, is in good standing with the University and has a minimum GPR of 2.0 (undergraduate) or 3.0 (graduate).  SSFAB members serve either one- or two-year terms.

How are members selected to the Student Service Fee Advisory Board?

Applications are solicited in early spring.  These may be submitted electronically or delivered in hard copy to the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs, Suite 117 Koldus Student Services Building.

A review committee consisting of the Student Body President, the President of the Graduate Student Council, the Speaker of the Student Senate and the current Chair of the Student Service Fee Advisory Board reviews applications, conducts interviews with applicants and recommends new appointments to the Student Body President, the President of the Graduate Student Council and the President of the University.

How is the Student Service Fee Advisory Board Chair selected?

Returning Board members can apply for this position.  A committee consisting of the Student Body President, the President of the Graduate Student Council, Speaker of the Student Senate, the outgoing SSFAB Chair and a representative from the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs reviews applications and conducts interviews to select a chairperson.

How does SSFAB arrive at its recommendations?

Each department that receives funding from the Student Service Fee makes an annual presentation to SSFAB, detailing any requests for additional funding.  The members of SSFAB discuss each line item of each budget at length to decide if the requests will benefit students at a reasonable cost.  After each request is thoroughly discussed, members vote in favor or against it; all requests receiving a majority vote are approved.  Once this process is completed, the approved requests are totaled and the amount of the Student Service Fee increase, if any, is established. 

What services does the Student Service Fee pay for?

The Student Service Fee funds services and programs that are separate and apart from regularly scheduled academic functions of the University and directly involve or benefit students.  This includes various programs offered by departments both affiliated and not affiliated with the Division of Student Affairs.  The departments that receive Student Service Fee monies are:  the Memorial Student Center/University Center Complex, Student Activities, the Student Government Association, Choral Activities, Student Counseling Service, University Art Collections, Aggie Bands, Student Life, Student Life Studies, the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs, Graduate Student Council, the Becky Gates Childrens Center, Student Organization Finance Center, Study Abroad, International Student Services, Multicultural Services, and Student Financial Aid.  The Student Service Fee funds salaries and programs within each of these departments.

How much is the current student service fee?

The current Student Service Fee is $14.97 per semester credit hour (SCH), not to exceed 12 hours per semester ($179.64 total).

How much was the Student Service Fee increased since last year?

The recommended fee increase was 3.95% or $0.57 per credit hour.

What was the increase used for?

The increase was used to pay for state-mandated salary increases.  These increases are necessary to keep up with the continuous increase in the cost of living.  This year's increase also funded:

• Aggie Bands:  a Senior Associate Director of Bands position and one-time funding for a string instrument purchase
• Becky Gates Children's Center:  Service Excellence Awards and one-time funding for tables and chairs
• Choral Activities:  student worker wages and one-time funding for fuel costs
• Disability Services:  student worker wages and a staff promotion
• Greek Life:  reclassification of a staff member, a graduate assistant, computing hardware and software
• Division of Student Affairs IT:  a system administrator position and a web administrator position, security camera project administration
• MSC:  student worker wages, one-time funding for a freshman leadership organization and a development software upgrade
• Multicultural Services:  student worker wages and one-time funding for the "Community of Respect" program at New Student Conferences
• Student Activities:  student worker wages
• Student Counseling Service:  return a part-time staff member to full time, a staff promotion, base salary for an intern
• Student Government Association:  a new advisor position, a staff reclassification
• Student Life:  partial funding for an additional students' attorney
• Study Abroad:  a study abroad database and one-time funding for high-impact posters
• University Art Collections:  upgrade for a graduate marketing assistant, funding for a fine arts insurance premium increase and one-time funding for collection maintenance