The Associated Students passed a $1 increase on the mandatory health fee for every semester. Janet Chang director of the Student Health Center is going through the channels to have the mandatory student health fee increased. “The $1 fee increase will help balance the budget for the health center,” Chang said, “so that we can offer services, such as glasses, medical services and psychological services.”
The increase came after the California Community Colleges Chancellor Jack Scott looked at the formula for a budget for college health centers and emailed schools asking them to raise the fee by $1.
“If we’re going to have a health clinic, it should be effective,” said Maryam Labib, A.S. director of activities.
“Nobody wants to pay a dollar extra,” Chang said, “but this is in our mutual best interest to support this because you should support our program because of what we do, plus ours is still cheaper then De Anza’s.”
At the Associated Students meeting, the item to raise the fee $1 was passed unanimously.
“I think it’s fair that fee increases, but I’d like to see more representation of what services they offer,” said Patrick Loera, English major and commissioner of the A.S. newsletter.
Chang still has to go the College Planning Committee, the cabinet that consists of the SJCC president and 2 Vice Presidents, then to the bored of trustees.
If Chang gets support throughout the next few channels, the student health fee will be increased by $1 starting next semester.