Issue date: 11/17/09 Section: Opinion

Lindsey Oyler [Click to enlarge]

Show me the money.

Tom Cruise might have been talking about being on the receiving end of financial benefit, but SIUE students have to question where their money is going. With academic and campus activity funds freezing left and right, this question is reasonably asked since students pour their hard-earned wealth into the college funds. One could expect it to be redeemed in more ways than just receiving a degree.

However, as SIUE students, we should trust our school to use our money reasonably and stand strong, as the entire state is in such a crisis that our money is unavailable. Transferring out might be the easiest adjustment, but knowing the facts about this financial block could ease the minds of flustered students.

Money from our tuition and fees makes a cycle. First, we pay the money. Then the finance boards and administrators decide what percentage of the money goes to what aspect of the school, therefore going back to the students through activities.

Usually there are several parts of the school that receive this money, which is why we are encouraged to partake in each activity or service offered. These are the athletic, textbook rental, Morris University Center, Student-To-Student Grant, Student Welfare and Activity, Student Fitness Center, information technology, Student Academic Success Center, facilities maintenance and campus housing activity fees.

A higher enrollment means having a better, well-rounded school and better activities are provided. These areas have always been the key aim of college student fees, but the price has differed each year, usually with an increase.

Evidence of this lies in a late 1960s Alestle article I found doing research for a class project. In fact, in the year of 1966 the activity fee totaled to an amount of $10.50, 40 percent of which went to SIUE (then Southern Illinois University) Health Services. This mere $4 helped modernize SIUE healthcare.

However, with this now large sum of money coming from our own pockets reaching that of the school's, what are we to expect when administrators tell us that the money magically disappeared?

We should stick together. After finding that SIUE is now in a financial bind, the Finance Board met and plans to meet several times discussing financial freezes on campus activities affected by a lack of monetary support. The main focus of the meeting was trusting that the school would overcome and that students should simply follow the direction of the school for the time being.

Continued...

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