To the UCI Office of Financial Aid and UCI University Registrar,

Given the unprecedented consequences of COVID-19, the majority of in-person classes for the 2020 fall quarter have been replaced with an online format. As a result, most on-campus events and activities have been canceled or postponed, and several facilities have been made inaccessible to the student body.

Despite this, the office of Financial Aid has continued to charge the student body over $700 in excessive fees and is progressing with its billing process as if its campus students are not impacted by a global pandemic.

Out of the 17 to 22 fees required by the student body (including tuition), 8 of these fees are unnecessary. According to the UCI University Registrar’s Website, the breakdown and description of these fees are as follows:

Student Services Fee - “This fee is a charge to each student for co-curricular programs, activities, and services which benefit the student and which are complementary to, but not a part of, the instructional programs.”

In-person “co-curricular programs, activities and services” are unavailable to students in the fall quarter. While online staff services are available, on-campus access to the Computer Lab, ATMs and the UPS Store are limited or inaccessible.

Associated Student Fee - “These funds provide social activities, lectures, forums, concerts, and other activities at either a reduced charge, or no charge, to UCI students”

These “social activities, lectures, forums, concerts, and other activities” are not available in an in-person format for the student body. The office of financial aid needs to reconsider reducing this fee if the aforementioned events will be replaced with online events and thus, eliminating all in-person student and staff interactions.

Student Center Fee - “The fee is used to pay the debt service on revenue bonds sold to finance the construction costs, to fund operating costs and to fund major repairs and maintenance expenses of the UCI Student Center”

The UCI Student Center is unavailable for student access in the fall quarter, in which general utilities (Air Conditioning, Electricity, etc.) are not necessary.

Bren Events Center Fee - “The fee is used to maintain the Bren Events Center and to pay the debt service on revenue bonds sold to finance the construction costs of the Bren Events Center”

UCI sports have been postponed and the student body is unable to access the Center, which leaves no need to maintain the Center’s utilities or routine clean-up after events.

Recreation Center Fee - “The fee is used to operate, maintain and pay the debt service on revenue bonds sold to finance the construction costs of the Student Recreation Center and Athletics facilities improvements”

The Anteater Recreation Center is closed, with no student able to access its equipment, classes or interactions for the time being, which means students should not pay for the Center’s operations and maintenance.

Measure S - “The fee is used to support, upgrade, and expand the ASUCI Express Shuttle”

Anteater Express Fee - “The purpose of the fee is to support the Anteater Express campus shuttle service and the fee revenue will be used to fund expenses including, but not limited to, ongoing operations, fleet replacement, disability services, and route expansion”

The Anteater Express has suspended all of its off-campus transportation routes, and because many students are forced to stay at home or off-campus, student body utilization of shuttle services are reduced. Thus, the fee for only receiving the on-campus portion of these “ongoing operations” should result in cost reduction.

Club Sports Fee - “The fee revenue will be used to fund expenses such as, but not limited to, coaching, cost of equipment and uniforms, tournament fees, travel expenses, events facility rentals and basic-level league dues for all clubs in the Club Sports Program”

Due to the closure of the ARC, access to the “coaching”, “equipment and uniforms, tournament[s]”, “travel expenses, events facility rentals and basic-level league” are removed.

In addition to this, the office of financial aid has altered the financial aid files of several students with little explanation. Several students previously had financial aid files with a “complete” status for several weeks. Over the course of the last few days, many students have had their aid unexpectedly decreased by as much as several thousand dollars.

As students of UCI, we are well aware that the university was unprepared for this pandemic and is working hard to accommodate students through an online learning environment. We are also aware that many of the fees for facilities and events that we are being charged for may become available at a later period in the school year and are required each quarter. Because of this, it is understandable that some fees which currently correspond with limited/online only access to campus services should only be reduced for the fall quarter or until the campus services are re-opened.

Therefore, we the students of UCI request that:

The UCI Office of Financial Aid and UCI University Registrar update their billing plan for the fall quarter to address the present online learning environment. 

The UCI Office of Financial Aid and UCI University Registrar modify tuition to address the needs of students severely impacted by COVID-19.

We appreciate your consideration and hope your evaluation will lead to an outcome balanced for everyone at UCI during this difficult time.

Respectfully,

Savannah Moore

Bachelor's of Film and Media Studies Candidate '22

UCI School of Humanities

University of California, Irvine

savannahkyliemoore@gmail.com

Muadh A Abdulhakim

Candidate for B.A in Psychological Science ‘22

UCI School of Social Ecology

University of California, Irvine

muadhh.a@gmail.com

Christian B. Bernal Burgoa 

Candidate for B.A in Psychological Science ‘22

UCI School of Social Ecology 

University of California, Irvine 

christianbryb@gmail.com