TRENTON – Senator Shirley K. Turner (D-Mercer/Hunterdon) today announced that she is introducing legislation to require greater transparency with regard to the assessment of fees by state colleges and universities. The legislation is proposed in response to the Office of the State Comptroller’s report on the collection, allocation, and use of student fees at several public institutions of higher education.
“The implementation of additional fees increases the costs of higher education and burdens students and families with more debt,” said Senator Turner. “Our colleges and universities are gouging students and causing them more financial pain. This is more than nickel and diming; they are squeezing every last dollar from their students.”
The legislation will implement the Office of the State Comptroller’s recommendations to require public institutions of higher education to establish policies and procedures that establish internal controls over the development and assessment of mandatory fees and establish certain accounting requirements to ensure greater transparency. The legislation will be introduced next month.
Senator Turner is the sponsor of legislation that addresses similar issues with course-related fees. Her bill, S1635, requires public institutions of higher education to establish policies for the implementation of course-related fees, such as laboratory fees or special course fees.