University fees provide access to activities and services, and are assessed to all students. These are considered enrollment fees, not user fees, and are necessary to support University operations. All students are encouraged to take advantage of the benefits these fees provide. All fees charged by Binghamton University must be approved and on file with the Budget Office. This includes fees charged to students, employees, community members, and other organizations. New and/or changed fee requests are to be submitted per the deadlines below.
| Academic Term for Implementation | Request due to Budget Office |
|---|---|
|
Summer 2025 |
February 15, 2025 |
|
Fall 2025 |
February 15, 2025 |
| Spring 2026 |
September 1, 2025 |
Broad Based Fees
Broad based fees are a set of non-tuition fees charged to students attending Binghamton University as authorized by SUNY. Annual adjustments in fee rates are limited to the Higher Education Price Index (HEPI). Student involvement and consultation is required for any proposed rate change. Review our 2023/24 Broad Based Fee Guidance and Broad Based Fee Descriptions.
2024/25 BROAD BASED FEE REQUEST
Course Based Fees
SUNY policy states that a fee may be charged for a course that has extraordinary costs that meet the following criteria (this listing is not intended to be all-inclusive):
- Special course supplies and materials where the student retains an end product of worth,
- Special and unique services provided by the course,
- Extraordinary costs associated directly with degree, diploma, or certificate program delivery,
- Costs associated with a course specific to scientific chemicals, supplies and materials, modest equipment, and proper disposal of waste,
- The fee represents a financially significant savings to the student
Requests to charge a new fee or to change an existing fee amount, must be submitted using the Course Based Fee Request Form along with supporting documentation justifying the purpose and amount of the fee. The requesting department must obtain approval and signatures from their department chair and Dean's Office prior to submitting the request to the Budget Office for review.
If a course number changes while a fee request is pending or after a fee is approved, the department must formally communicate the nature of the change to the Budget Office.
All requests must be approved by SUNY prior to charging the fee.
Every two years, course fees and associated IFR accounts will be reviewed for continued need, appropriateness of level, and to ensure that expenditures are aligned with the fee approval and purpose. All course fee revenues and expenses must be charged to the associated course fee IFR.
Course fees are not waived except in extenuating circumstances, such as financial
hardships. Students seeking a course fee waiver on the basis of a financial hardship
should contact the department responsible for administering the fee in writing, providing
details and documentation explaining the reasons for the financial hardship waiver
request. The administering department will review the request with the student and
then forward it to the Budget Office along with a recommendation to accept or reject
the waiver request. The final decision to approve a waiver is based on the merits
of each request and will be communicated by the Budget Office to the administering
department and to Student Accounts, as appropriate. The administering department will
communicate the final decision to the student. The administering department is responsible
for managing the financial implications of the waiver within their own budget.
Approved Course Fees
Course Fee Request Submission Guidelines:
- The course based fee request form must be filled out in its entirety
- Course numbers and titles are required, including cross listed courses
- One form may be used if the same fee applies to multiple courses proportionally and fee revenues will be deposited into one IFR account
- A memo from the department chair to the Dean explaining the need for the fee is highly encouraged, though not required at this time
- Expenditures:
-
- Expenditures listed on the request form must be itemized in a separate document with calculated totals
- PSR expenditures cannot include instructional staff or technician
- TS adjunct and/or extra service may be allowable in certain circumstances where a
specialized service is performed, but cannot exceed 50% of the course fee expense
-
- If TS adjunct or extra service expenditures are approved, the department is required to keep record of number of hours and associated costs of providing the specialized service. This must be kept up-to-date and provided to the Budget Office on an annual basis, with the data readily available at all other times for ad hoc reporting as required by SUNY
-
- OTPS expenditures cannot include routine materials, textbooks, or food
- Equipment costs must be broken down (allocated to all courses/labs using the equipment) and depreciated over its useful life
- Equipment replacement schedule and percentage already owned should be provided
- How have the expenditures been covered in the past? Will the department subsidize costs? Are any grants being pursued to subsidize costs?
-
- Cash balance for existing IFR accounts must be explained along with a plan to demonstrate how and when that balance will be used
- If the fee covers the cost of an end-product that is retained by the student, a description of that product must be narrated and the cost to build one unit must be indicated and itemized
- If the fee represents a significant cost savings to the student, provide a description of the nature of the savings and the amount per student
- Is the course required for graduation and/or degree completion? If so, how many other courses in that area of study have fees?
Campus Authorized Fees
The Board of Trustees authorizes Binghamton University to establish certain fees without SUNY approval. Fees that fall into this category include, but are not limited to: residence hall room rates, board plan rates, orientation charges, library charges, non-credit bearing instructional program fees, and service charges. Campus Units interested in establishing or changing these types of fees should first consult with their area financial representative and then with the Budget Office to assess feasibility, classification, implementation timeline, and an action plan.
