Incidental Fee Task Force

Updated: Aug. 28, 2025

Reason for the Task Force/Charge

The Incidental Fee Taskforce was charged by the Vice President for Student Affairs in spring 2025 to review and clarify the role of incidental fees at Oregon State University. The task force was asked to define what constitutes an incidental fee, distinguish incidental programs and services from those that should be considered baseline university responsibilities, and recommend a process for transitioning non-incidental units to the mandatory fee-setting process. The intent was to improve transparency, cost containment, predictability, and shared governance. As OSU continues to evolve its educational offerings and support services, it was imperative to clearly define what constitutes an incidental fee and what programs and services should instead be baseline university offerings.

The charge included the following components:

  1. Review and clarify the role of incidental fees at OSU
  2. Define what qualifies as an incidental fee
  3. Distinguish incidental programs from university baseline responsibilities
  4. Recommend a process for transitioning non-incidental units
  5. Enhance transparency, cost containment, and shared governance
Membership
Background
Definition
Timeline

Task Force Membership

  • Dan Larson (charging body), Vice President for Student Affairs
  • Stephen Jenkins (co-chair), Associate Vice President for Student Affairs
  • Leslie Schacht Drey (co-chair), Associate Dean of Student Belonging
  • Brent Gustafson, Associate Vice President for Budget and Resource Planning
  • Jason Catz, Senior Associate General Counsel
  • Katie Wilson, Associate Dean for Student Life, OSU-Cascades
  • Audrey Schlotter, 2024-25 ASOSU President
  • Whitney McFarlane, 2024-26 ASCC President 
  • Sophia Nowers, 2024-25 Student Fee Committee Chair
  • Kayla Ramirez, 2025-26 ASOSU President
  • Masha Mogylevsky, 2025-26 ASOSU Vice President
  • Allison Barr, 2024-26 ASCC Vice President & Student Fee Committee Chair 

 

Background

OSU has three types of mandatory fees that broadly impact on-campus students every year. Student Building Loan/Debt Fee, Incidental Fee, and the Student Health Services Fee (other OSU fees include individual course fees as well as the one-time fees for things like application for admission or matriculation). The Incidental Fee, also referred to as the Student Incidental Fee, funds various student services, activities and facilities, with the amount and usage recommended by the student government. Under ORS 352.105, the recognized student government may submit a request under established processes for requesting to increase or modify fees, and the Board of Trustees may only refuse the request if a fee is not reasonably related to:

  • The education of university students;
  • The instruction of university students;
  • Services for university students, or
  • The recreation of university students.

Other than the broad criteria listed above, there is no clear statutory definition that sets incidental fees apart from other mandatory fees. In 2017, the Student Health Fee was separated from the Incidental Fee process and moved under the University Budget Committee, since health services were not considered “incidental.” Although this change was widely accepted based on a shared understanding of definitions at the time, the university did not establish an official definition of “incidental” at that time, nor consider other programs and services.

The task force completed its work and submitted its recommendations for review and next steps. After receiving feedback from university leaders, and as the President’s Delegated Authority on matters of student government, the Vice President for Student Affairs accepted the task force’s proposed definition and recommendations, which have now been adopted.

Incidental Fee Definition

An incidental fee is a student-collected and student-allocated fee that supports non-academic programs, services, and activities that enrich the student experience. These include areas such as student government, clubs and organizations, cultural programs, recreation, student media, and other initiatives that reflect student priorities and foster leadership, identity, and campus connection.

Incidental fee-funded programs, while still important to the OSU experience, are not essential to the university’s baseline responsibilities for academic instruction, wellbeing, retention, or compliance. Incidental fee-funded services are generally discretionary, student-driven, and do not carry institutional obligations for long-term staffing, debt, or capital investment.

Units funded through incidental fees typically operate as auxiliaries and are expected to cover the full scope of their services through incidental fees and/or self-generated revenue. In cases where a unit delivers both essential and non-essential services, a blended funding model may be appropriate.

Development of Rubric

Timeline

  • Phase 1 (July-August 2025): Charge After Action Review Taskforce & Taskforce Begins Work to Draft OSU Incidental Fee Process Policies for Adoption.
  • Phase 2 (September 2025-February 2026) Incidental Fee Process for FY27 Proceeds with Updated Units.
  • Phase 3 (September 2025-February 2026): Units are transitioned to the Mandatory Fee process and integrated into UBC.
  • Phase 4 (July 2026): Implement revised fee structure fully.

Next Steps

Over the next several weeks, Student Affairs leaders in Corvallis and Bend will work with the Office of Budget and Fiscal Planning, Financial Services, budget managers and student leaders on respective advisory boards in this transition. Units whose programs and services do not meet the definition of incidental will transition to the University Budget Committee, consistent with the Student Health Services Fee and Student Building Loan/Debt Fee.

Frequently Asked Questions

An incidental fee is a student-collected and student-allocated fee that supports non-academic programs, services, and activities that enrich the student experience. These include student government, clubs, cultural programs, recreation, and student media.

The task force was formed to clarify what qualifies as an incidental fee, review current programs funded by these fees, and recommend changes to improve transparency and governance.

The task force recommended defining incidental fees clearly and transitioning some programs to be funded through mandatory fees managed by the University Budget Committee.

At OSU Corvallis:

  • Memorial Union
  • Family Resource Center
  • Recreational Sports (except club sports)
  • Parts of Student Experiences & Engagement

At OSU-Cascades:

  • Campus Recreation Facilities/Cascades Adventures
  • Student Health and Recreation Center
  • Student Success Center

At OSU Corvallis:

  • ASOSU and associated services (Office of Advocacy, SafeRide, Student Legal Services)
  • Student Athletic Tickets
  • Basic Needs Center
  • Performing Arts
  • Club Sports
  • Parts of Student Experiences and Engagement

At OSU-Cascades:

  • ASCC
  • Events Council
  • Human Services and Resources
  • Student Clubs
  • Student Fee Committee

No. The outcome of this process only re-characterizes fees; it will not increase the total fees charged to students.

When taken together, the total amount of student incidental fees and mandatory enrollment fees paid by students will not increase due to this change. For example, every dollar now transitioned to the mandatory enrollment fee that was previously budgeted to the Memorial Union (Corvallis campus) will stop being assessed through the student incidental fee. The net increase resulting from that transition itself should remain zero. 

In the end, this transition should not increase costs for students.  The total amount of student incidental fees and mandatory enrollment fees may still receive the normal adjustments annually considered by the University Budget Committee and ASOSU student government. But such an increase would be unrelated to this transition of fees from one category to the other.

That said, the very act of moving the fees from one category to another will trigger a rule that requires approval of the Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC) whenever the mandatory enrollment fees go up by 5% or more.  But as noted above, this is only an artificial increase to the mandatory enrollment fee because the total fees paid by students have just changed categories, not actually increased.

Yes, student boards provide input, and student voice remains part of the University Budget Committee process.

OSU is growing and becoming more complex. This change aims to improve transparency and predictability, align with legal requirements, and ensure sustainable funding for essential services.

OSU will communicate with stakeholders, engage with HECC and legislators, and finalize the transition process. Efforts will be made to offset increases in mandatory fees with reductions in incidental fees.

Oregon State’s new approach aligns more closely with the University of Oregon’s model. There is no standard definition across Oregon public universities, so OSU is leading efforts to create clarity and consistency.

Process Questions

Impacted units will be invited to attend a process session in the coming weeks. In the meantime, if you have questions regarding the impact this transition will have on the budgeting process, please contact Steve Hoelscher, Associate Vice President for Student Affairs.

Task Force Recommendations