We all pay student fees, but do you really know what you’re paying for?

From athletics and recreation fees to organization fees, the university lacks transparency when it comes to where your money is going

Each year, McMaster University and the McMaster Student Union collect over $1,400 in mandatory supplementary fees from each of their full-time undergraduate students. As tuition and supplementary fees were just due on September 25 this year, students, once again, enter a period of heightened financial stress after paying off significant balances to avoid late fees and interest charges.  

However, finding detailed information on your student fees isn’t as easy as it should be.  

While the MSU provides an accessible breakdown of the specific fees they manage, there is limited information available on how those funds are used by the MSU. For instance, to better understand how the organization fee, which costs students over $150, is used, you’d have to rummage through lengthy financial documents that are largely inaccessible to the average student. Not to mention, the list of fees on the MSU website is inaccurate and outdated based on the fee breakdown students can find on Mosaic or the Office of the Registrar’s website.   

In comparison to the MSU’s less-than-satisfactory efforts towards transparency, though, the university lags even further behind. For McMaster-specific fees, there is little to no information available on how student funds are managed.  

Take, for example, the administrative services fee which can cost up to $43 and is designated for transcripts, letters, tax forms and certificate fees. Beyond that brief description in the title of the fee, there are no further details on how the funds generated by this fee are used by the administrative team. What makes the unclarity of the fees even more frustrating is the fact that students are still required to pay $3 for an official e-transcript or $30 for an official paper transcript with express shipping. 

This administrative service fee is just one example from that never-ending list of fees slipped onto your balance with tuition costs. 

For many students and their families, the set of student fees they are required to pay can represent a significant financial burden, especially given the current economic climate.  

As students at McMaster, we deserve to know exactly how our money is being spent. Creating a sense of transparency around student fees would not only improve attitudes towards fees as students can better understand the value of their fees, but it also holds the university accountable to their budgeting, ensuring every student’s hard-earned penny is well spent.  

As inflation continues to take a toll on students, the burden of student fees is undeniable. Both the university and MSU need to prioritize transparency and work to build a more accessible and equitable system of student fees that better supports students and their needs.