2024 incidental fee discussions at Oregon State University have already begun with most asking for a package that could increase student wages due to inflation, according to Joe Page, Student Fee Committee chair.

“(Associated Students of Oregon State University), the congress and the President and Vice President made a list of priorities that they had for the fee setting this year, and one of their priorities was a cost of living adjustment for student workers,” Page said. 

Last year student employees working within any student fee funded units – Memorial Union, ASOSU, intercollegiate athletics, performing arts, Basic Needs Center, Family Resource Center and Student Experience and Engagement – received a new minimum wage of $15 per hour. Now ASOSU and other units are looking to increase that by 4.75% to account for the cost of living. 

According to Page, any additional expense that goes beyond what programs and services each unit currently offers, with inflation adjustments, must be approved by the SFC through what is called a decision package. 

“Every unit has introduced a decision package to adjust for that cost of living,” Page said. “For some units, that’s the only additional money that they’re asking for.”

While some units have included just the cost of living adjustment only in their decision packages, others have asked for new positions within their unit or are still adding back services that had funding cut during the pandemic.

“If we approve everything that everyone is asking for — which doesn’t usually happen, but in the event that we did — we’d be looking at a 5.05% increase to what this year’s (incidental) fee is,” Page said. 

“The 5.05% would increase the incidental fee to just above $500 per student, per term,” Page said. 

Students currently pay the $481.49 incidental fee in fall, winter and spring terms during the academic year. 

“So we decide, we balance: What is the value of adding these programs or services or this maintenance to the total budget versus how much do we want students to have to pay?” Page said. 

According to Page, these SFC meetings are one of the only places where students have a say from start to finish about how their money is handled. 

“If you have thoughts about how you want your money to be spent, then this is the space to come and share that,” Page said. 

Decision package discussions will take place on Jan. 26, from 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. and final deliberations will take place in the MU Horizon Room On Feb. 2 also from 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Joe Page says that if students were to pick one meeting to attend, they should attend the final meeting as that’s when students will be able to hear the final deliberations of all the units.