Potential break from student fees

Student signatures could bring relief from the cost of required campus fees. Any student that's complained about the increasing cost of student fees may have a break in the near future if Dennis Chanay has anything to say about it.

Chanay is a member of the Freedom from Fees coalition, which is seeking at least 1,000 signatures on a petition they're sending around campus. Chanay and the coalition want to save students some money by lowering the amount of students fees they pay every semester. If Chanay gets all the signatures, the proposal to cut student fees will appear on April's student election ballot.

Megan Gonzales, KU freshman, is interested in saving some money through this proposal.

"Saving any money's going to help any student, even if it's just a little," said Gonzales.

Tom Gleason, KU freshman, said he doesn't think the plan would be taking away from any current campus services.

"I think we pay too much for them anyway," said Gleason.

Nick Sterner, Student Body President, said he thinks cutting some of the student fees would be severely devastating for students. He said the proposal would not be just a fee cut, but rather a significant attack on student services that could potentially eliminate some of the current services offered. In effect, Sterner said cutting the fee could end up costing student's more money.

Chanay still insists that the services students rely on every day aren't going anywhere.

For now, many students aren't worried about what the proposal will or won't do for students. Students just think it's important for them to decide on the issue by voting.

"I think it's always OK for something to be on the ballot and for people to vote on it. If that's what they think, then I don't have a problem having to vote for it," said Sasha Graybosch, KU sophomore.

As of Monday, Chanay had already collected 500 signatures over the weekend. His goal is to get 2,500. The outcome of this proposal will not be known until student elections on April 12-13.