Miscellaneous Course Fees, Executive Order 1102

Last Updated: 2/23/2022

  1. Miscellaneous course fees are defined as fees collected for materials, services or use of facilities used in concert with the basic complement of supplies needed for state-supported instruction. Miscellaneous course fees can only be charged for the actual cost of providing exceptional instructional materials, services or use of an off-campus facility. Students must have the option of attaining the materials or services required through alternative means; however, in cases where such alternative means are unavailable, students cannot opt out of utilizing the required material or service and must pay the miscellaneous course fee.

  2. The following rules apply when determining if miscellaneous course fees can be charged for exceptional materials or services in the classroom:

    • Miscellaneous course fees can only be charged for the actual cost of the material, service or use of facility being provided.

    • A miscellaneous course fee cannot be charged for the basic complement of classroom supplies and materials required for instruction. These include but are not limited to: chalk, erasers, paper clips, pointers, classroom instructional equipment such as projectors (slide, overhead, computer, etc.) and associated supplies (bulbs, transparencies, software, etc.), or any other supplies deemed necessary to equip the instructional space for courses.

    • A miscellaneous course fee cannot be charged for the basic complement of laboratory supplies and instructional equipment necessary for classroom lab requirements identified in the course description. These include but are not limited to equipment, test tubes, work stations, computers or any supplies necessary to equip laboratory space to complement classroom course instruction.

    • Administrative charges and inflationary factors cannot be added to miscellaneous course fees. Only the actual cost of the material, service or use of a facility can be charged.

    • A miscellaneous course fee cannot be charged to fund the basic cost of instruction. Instructional costs are funded through marginal cost dollars, tuition fee revenue, and permanent base budget allocations.

  3. Requests to establish fees above the approved ranges and requests to increase existing fees to an amount above the approved ranges must be forwarded to the chancellor's office for approval. If the requested fee or fee adjustment meets the policy guidelines, a coded memorandum shall be issued to authorize the campus to charge the fee.

  4. Campuses must review all current miscellaneous course fees to ensure each one meets the requirements of the above described rules. If existing course fees exceed the approved ranges, campuses should review recent revenue and expenditure plans for that fee to ensure that the fee level is appropriate and make adjustments as necessary. All fees, including those that surpass the approved ranges that were previously approved by executive order prior to issuance of Executive Order 1034 in 2008 are grandfathered into this policy as long as they meet the policy guidelines above. Fees that do not meet the guidelines must be revised or eliminated.

  5. CSU student fees are authorized, deposited, and refunded in accordance with applicable CSU policy, provisions of the law, and revenue bond indentures which may be outstanding.

  6. Approved Fee Ranges:

    • $0-$150. Fees that supplement the basic complement of classroom and laboratory instruction by providing materials and services that would otherwise be unavailable to students, and which allow students to meet the educational objectives of a given course.

    • $0-$3,000. Fees for courses that require field trips or travel off-campus in order to meet the educational objectives of a given course.