Course Material and Service Fees

Chancellors are delegated authority to establish Course Material and Service Fees (CMSF) to recover the costs of materials, supplies, equipment and support services not covered by the normal instructional budget. CMSF are allowed for materials, supplies, tools, or equipment which are consumed, retained or used by the student, or other materials or services necessary to provide a special supplemental educational experience of direct benefit to the student. CMSFs should reflect the direct costs incurred by the students for the materials and services they receive.

CMSF may include:

• materials and supplies
• tools and equipment
• materials and services for special supplemental experiences

CMSF may not be charged to cover any costs relating to the provision of facilities or services required for the general operation of the institution. A CMSF, generally, should not be imposed to purchase materials and services that will be used by multiple students or that will not be retained by a student after the course has ended.

Departments charging CMSF must carefully document the cost of materials and services associated with each course and have documented evidence that a CMSF does not exceed the actual cost per student of the materials and services provided. CMSFs cannot be established as an additional source to raise revenue in excess of the documented costs to provide such materials and services.

How to Establish and/or Revise Existing Fee

Timeline

All academic departments are eligible to propose a new CMSF or revise an existing CMSF for the academic year following the proposal year (i.e., a proposal submitted in AY 2022-23 is for a CMSF beginning in AY 2023-24). New and revised CMSF should only be implemented in fall quarters.

For 2024-25 fees, proposals must be submitted in 2023-24:

• New Fee – Proposal must be submitted to the Office of Budget & Planning by October 2, 2023
• Revised Fee - Proposal must be submitted to the Office of Budget & Planning by January 2, 2024

Please consult your control point and the Office of Budget & Planning prior to beginning the process.

Process to Establish or Increase Fee

Step 1: Department consults with control point, Office of Budget & Planning and the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor and develops proposal, ensuring conformance to policies, appropriate internal review and consultation with students.

Step 2: Department submits proposal to the relevant dean for review and approval. For new fees, the dean consults with the college Faculty Executive Committee regarding the implications and appropriateness of the proposed fee before submitting to Budget & Planning. *Dean is responsible for reviewing need and benefit components*

Step 3: Dean submits proposal to the Office of Budget & Planning. Office of Budget & Planning reviews proposal and provides sign off. *B&P responsible for reviewing technical aspects and compliance with University policies and guidelines*

Step 4: For new fees, the Office of Budget & Planning forwards proposals to Student Fee Advisory Committee (SFAC) for review and recommendation. *SFAC responsible for reviewing affordability components and impact on students*

Step 5: Office of Budget & Planning collects input and submits to the Executive Vice Chancellor.

Step 6: EVC provides final recommendation for which requests should be approved or denied and submits to the Chancellor.

Step 7: The Chancellor determines whether to authorize the fee in accordance with the May 13, 1996 delegation of authority letter.

Step 8: Upon receiving approval from the Chancellor, the department is responsible for submitting updates to the Registrar’s Office that need to be incorporated in the quarterly Schedule of Classes and campus General Catalog by the established deadlines.
 

Process to Reduce or Eliminate Fee

Step 1: Department submits request via email to CMSFandMiscFee@bap.ucsb.edu (cc: control point) with the following information:

• Course name and number
• Description of the costs the CMSF is currently subsidizing
• Reason you no longer require the CMSF at its current level

Step 2: Control point endorses submitted request.

Step 3: Office of Budget & Planning and the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor address requests administratively and provides final approval.

Step 4: Upon receiving approval, the department is responsible for submitting updates to the Registrar’s Office that need to be incorporated in the quarterly Schedule of Classes and campus General Catalog by the established deadlines.