Two new fees will be added to the 2009-10 school year total: a commuter student life fee and a residence life fee.

Nancy Schoonmaker, senior vice president and chief financial officer said the residence life fee will be $100 and the commuter life fee will be $250, including 25 meals per semester. Commuters also have the option of purchasing 25 additional meals for a reduced price of $155 compared to last year’s $270.

“We hope that this will be an opportunity for community to develop because more commuters are eating in the cafeteria thus providing the opportunity for community to develop,” Schoonmaker said.

The two fees are included in the 3.8 percent increase, but each student will only pay one, she said. Commuters will pay the commuter life fee, and on-campus residents will pay the residence life fee.

“The fee for commuters [is] higher because there are many services that are offered to all students that are currently being contributed to by resident students and not commuters,” she said.

Examples of those services are access to athletic facilities; maintenance and operation of student life areas, such as the Corum and lounges; student government and personnel related to commuter students, Schoonmaker said.

“The entire resident student fee of $100 and $100 of the commuter life fee will be put in a separate fund to directly benefit student life,” she said.

Schoonmaker said a portion of the separate fund will finance student government and the rest will go toward projects that benefit student life.

“The allocation method for the remainder of the fund will be determined with input from student government and Spiritual Formation,” she said.

Schoonmaker said in the future she wants to be able to stand in front of students and say, “Here’s all the income that came in [from the two new fees] and here’s how we spent it.”

In addition to the two new life fees are increases in other fees.

The Replacement ID card and vehicle registration fees, along with campus apartment rent for one and two bedroom apartments will increase $5. The technology fee and Leadership Journey fee will increase $10.