Exploit fee-funded programs

Student fees for the 2012-13 school year total about $450 per term, per person.

Four hundred and fifty dollars a term is a very pretty penny, but student fees have a purpose. Instead of complaining about them, you should exploit every opportunity these fees provide. It’s the equivalent to stuffing your face at a buffet — it is where you get your money back.

If you’ve caught the lovely flu going around, swing on over to Student Health Services. Basic services in SHS are free for students. Unlike Counseling and Psychological Services, there isn’t a five-visit cap at Student Health Services, but they do expect you to be on time and call in advance to cancel an appointment.

Student Health Services also participates in the Oregon Contraceptive Care program. CCare is a federal program that provides free contraceptive services. Among the birth control methods available, CCare provides Plan B, the ring, the patch, IUD, and male and female condoms.

If you already have a child, there are two on-campus sites where childcare is free for currently enrolled students. The Valley Library and Dixon Recreation Center offer students an opportunity to study or exercise while professionals watch over their child.

SafeRide, another program paid for by student fees, offers free transportation to and from campus. During winter term, hours of operation are from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. A student ID is required to board the buses.

Student Legal Services, blanketed under the ASOSU portion of student fees, also provides free services to students. That being said, any costs incurred outside the office are the student’s responsibility.

As long as the dispute does not pertain to Oregon State University or arise between two Oregon State students, Student Legal Services is happy to provide legal advice and representation. Areas of dispute include, but are not limited to, landlord/tenant disputes, credit issues, traffic infractions and criminal charges.

Finally, if you need an emergency loan, the Office of Business Affairs, in the Kerr Administration Building, offers a maximum withdrawal of $350. Unfortunately this comes with an interest rate of 12 percent annually, and the debt is added to your OSU bill.

This service is advantageous if you are a couple hundred dollars short for textbooks. Or, come the end of spring, if you’re looking to move out of the dorms, you’ll soon realize the cost of getting into an apartment is shocking. Knowing you have access to a few hundred dollars is helpful.

These are just a few of the programs you pay for. We advise everyone to use the free services provided as often as you can. You are paying for them, after all.


Editorials serve as means for Barometer editors to offer commentary and opinions on issues both global and local, grand in scale or diminutive. The views expressed here are a reflection of the editorial board’s majority.