Evil fees, Unions and other fears
Today is the last day to pay my tuition bill. The lines are going to be super long. I wonder if they’re open over lunch time.
But that’s not what has me twiddling my thumbs. This semester my darling university has decided to charge international students an exorbitant fee to fund the international program office (which doesn’t only serve international students mind you). Of course part of this fee goes to the lovely US government or maybe goes to do things the US government wants done…like tracking poor us.
So my union is protesting. So far about 240 graduate students have not paid the fee in protest.
But we can be academically withdrawn…of course once we pay the fee we’ll be reinstated – or so is the case usually. Oh…what else, they said they won’t charge us the late fee this time if we make it up later. Hmm…sounds good but the thing is I want this to be my last semeter. I don’t really want to jeopardize it in any way. Not paying the fee would just be one more worry on my plate which is already overflowing.
There are no easy decisions in life.
HMPH
I will wander by my union office to see if they can convince me to see the error of my ways. And I’m hungry so I better put some money on my university debit card so I can get some food.
I hate the stupid fee. Do they think we’re made of money?? Do people know how much VISAs cost to come here. Fine, you don’t want international students any more. Just say so! Lock your borders…kick us all out. These underhanded tactics are super frustrating.
[...] with my graduate school and money! :) Some time aback I complained about having to pay a fee that the university was charging international students [...]
Pingback by Lily's Blog, Dragon Protected! » International Student Fee and other money stuff — Friday 5th, November 2004 @ 5:57 am
right!
So I picked up one of those protest stickers and walked to the bursar’s office. And wrote my check out and stuck the “no surveillance fee” sticker on my bill and I protested.
What’s the world coming to…I’m not reactionary. Really, I’m not.
Just wait til I tell my parents. YIKES.
But you have to stand up for things right.
And they say according to standard billing practises when they send you a notice of overdue fees you have 14 days to pay the difference, so I still have that time and they won’t charge the late fee this time.
Also, the international people (who’re in charge of relating to immigration and SEVIS) say they don’t report a delinquent student (you know..no fees) as not being full time etcetera until 21 days have gone. So basically I have until the end of March to pay it and not be administratively (that’s the word, not academically) withdrawn. Unless the university does something extremely underhanded.
I’m scared!
I need to be out of here at the end of this semester.
I wish I knew where my smilies were…
Comment by Lily — Thursday 11th, March 2004 @ 6:06 pm