Student Non-Tuition Fees Increase 148% since Fall 2001!

We've brought up before the fact that Kean adds on fees like Capital Debt Service and Maintenance to our tuition bill, and that they often pay for things that we, as students, don't feel acutely responsible for.  We did not cause the school to overspend by millions each year we've attended, and the debt seems disproportionate—at least to the TBK crew—to the amount of improvements we've seen on campus.  Sure, we've got the STEM building and the Library addition, but what about the renovations to Hutchinson?  Is there really a need for it?  Will it be worth what we're paying?  The faculty who are being displaced by the overhaul don't think their offices need improvement, and no one I've come across so far thinks the classrooms need more than whiteboards and Credenzas.

In other news, Kean has recently decided to privatize maintenance services.  This means that they'll be turning to private contractors rather than posting bids in an open market, and we think it's an interesting coincidence that this is happening at the start of a new round of unnecessary renovation.  The idea is that this switch-over will reduce costs for Kean, but the rumor is circulating that someone higher-up is getting kick-backs.  Granted, these are just rumors—but we're good at doing research, and we'll get back to you if we find anything.

Last but not least:  Here's what we got your attention with in the beginning of this post, and what becomes most relevant now:  The way the University pays for all this renovation (aside from, of course, racking up debt):

In-State Undergraduates
total cost increase since 2001:     91.67%
total tuition increase since 2001:   70.96%
total fee increase since 2001:      148.9%

Out-Of-State Undergraduates 

total cost increase since 2001:     118.8%

total tuition increase since 2001:  111.6%

total fee increase since 2001:      148.9%