Term Bill Fee Hike Will Face Student Referendum

Considering what Harvard students and their parents pay for tuition, the Undergraduate Council is hoping they won't mind an extra $20 on the term bill.

At last night's meeting, the council voted to ask the students whether they would like to increase the term bill fee from $20 to $40. The question will be put to a binding referendum in April.

"The term bill fee has been $20 since something like 1983," said council President Noah Z. Seton '00 as he presented the legislation. "Our student fee is less than half of any of the other Ivies."

"It's time to have a change. But that change can only come with the consent of the student body," he added.

The optional $20 fee appears on every student's term bill. If students vote for the increase, an extra $124,400 would go into the council's budget.

"We would probably be able to increase the grants fund by $100,000," Seton said. "That is something that will increase the quality of life of student groups."

Bradley L. Davis '00, the chair of the council's Finance Committee, said a larger grants fund would provide aid for dozens of student organizations.

"The number of student groups has increased significantly," he said. "We don't have any more money to give these groups."

This semester, the average grant awarded to a student group is $350, Davis said. But groups request an average of $500 to $600.

Some of the remaining term bill funds would go into the committee fund, allowing the council to devote more money to events such as Springfest.

The resolution's sponsors, five of whom are members of the council's Executive Board, stressed the importance of putting the question to the students.

"It would be easy for us to pass a term bill increase right here...I don't think that would be fair to the student body," Seton said.

Other sponsors said a campaign for the referendum would be good publicity for the council.

"We can show this campus that we do have a purpose and we are doing something valuable," Davis said.

Some council members said that the suggestion of an increase would do exactly the opposite.

"[Students] will see this as a way for an ineffective organization to have more money to be ineffective with," said council member Vladimir A. Kleyman '02.

"I think that we're underestimating the student body," argued council Vice President and co-sponsor Kamil E. Redmond '00, quoting term bill fees at other schools as $80 to $100.

"I think they will recognize that $20 isn't that much," she said.

Co-sponsor John Paul Rollert '00 agreed, adding he felt that the student body would recognize the council's need for funds.

"We need more money," he said. "We can't pass things through the administration. We can give grants to student groups."

Members also questioned the efficacy of a referendum. Sam C. Cohen '00, former council vice-president, said he doubted the referendum would get enough of a turnout.

"For a true student body referendum, we need to poster and publicize on the level of the presidential and vice-presidential campaigns. You know what? I don't see it happening," Cohen said.

Despite Cohen's objections, the resolution succeeded with a vote of 38 to 8. Seton was optimistic about success of the student referendum.

"It will pass. I guarantee it," he said after the meeting.