Campus Fee Program

About the Program

Finance and Business Services is responsible for managing the Campus Fee Program, which establishes or makes changes to:

  • Campus mandatory fees
  • Miscellaneous course and lab fees
  • Any other student fees other than tuition fees

Understanding Fee Types

Per Executive Order 1102, the California State University Fee Policy defines fees into six categories:

For fees related to special session, please visit the Office of Professional Education.

Fee Proposals

All fees charged to students must undergo a proposal, review, and approval process before they may be assessed or changed. This includes:

  • Establishment of new fees
  • Increases/decreases to existing fees
  • Elimination of existing fees

In most cases, the president holds final authority. However, some fees require a student referendum, and some require the Chancellor’s approval. The Campus Fee Advisory Committee [CFAC] reviews most fee proposals and provides a recommendation to the President.

New fees that are planned to start in the next fall semester should be submitted by January to allow time for thorough review and informing our students.

Preparing a Fee Proposal

All fee proposals require the following:

Executive Summary

The Executive Summary [docx] must include:

  • Name of the fee
  • Current fee rate [if proposing changes to an existing fee]
  • Brief narrative as to why the new fee or fee modification is necessary
  • Any detailed, relevant, supporting materials
Financial Statement

The Financial Statement must include:

  • A minimum of one full year of actual revenues and expenses; if the proposal is for a new fee, there might not be revenue and/or expenses in the prior year.
  • Current fiscal year estimated revenues and expenditures
  • Two fiscal years of projected revenue and expenditures for the fee supported activity
  • Number of persons served each year by category [e.g. students, faculty, staff, and/or members of the general public]
  • A specified chartfield string where revenues are to be deposited. All revenues must be deposited using a revenue account code.
Trust Fund Agreement
  • If the proposal is for a new fee, include a Trust Fund Agreement [DocuSign] to establish a new fund to receive the fee revenues
  • If the proposal modifies an existing fee, include a copy of the existing Trust Fund Agreement.
SignaturesRoute the proposal for signatures:
  • Your signature [proposer]
  • A one-up signature [e.g., manager, dean, associate vice president]
  • Your division vice president’s signature
  • Any other signatures deemed appropriate by the division


Route copies to:

  • Vice President, Administration & Finance/Chief Finance Officer
  • Senior Associate Vice President, Finance and Business Services


Use of DocuSign is recommended.

 

Review Process

Mandatory fees typically require a student referendum, review by the Campus Fee Advisory Committee, Chief Financial Officer [CFO], and the President. The President can approve changes to existing fee levels. New mandatory fees must be approved by the Chancellor. 

Course fees and field trip fees are reviewed by the Campus Fee Advisory Committee and must have CFO endorsement to move forward. The proposed fee must fall within the ranges provided in Executive Order 1102 to fall under the President’s authority. Otherwise, they must be approved by the Chancellor.

Participant fees, self-support program fees, and special session fees are reviewed by Finance & Business Services and recommended to the CFO, who in turns recommends to the President. The President has final approval.

Approval Process

The approval process varies by fee category but follows a structured review pathway. Proposals typically undergo financial review and campus-level evaluation, and may also require student consultation or a referendum. Final approval may come from the Campus President, Chancellor’s Office, or Board of Trustees, ensuring appropriate oversight and transparency before a fee is implemented or changed.