When registration time rolled around last semester, I had to enroll in an online course. This particular class was only offered online during the spring, so my options were rather limited. Shortly thereafter, I realized that there was a $450 “delivery fee” for the class in addition to tuition and the rest of the regular fees. I looked at other online courses and it seemed that the average was between $20 and $150, so I believed the amount stated was an error. Well, I was the one in error.

Astounded by the amount of the fee and uncertain of what exactly a “delivery fee” was, I proceeded to attempt finding the answers to my questions. What exactly is a delivery fee? What does a delivery fee cover that tuition does not? Who determines the fee? I figured the Registrar was the best place to start, since distance education was part of their Web site.

The response I received from the Registrars office was “The delivery fee … is put into place to help defray the additional cost of offering a course at a distance.”

Perhaps I missed that day in debate class, but how does rearranging synonyms of the words in the original phrase constitute an answer? I was then informed that the department offering the course determines the fee and I should contact the department or the instructor.

From there on out, I received nothing but stonewalling.

No one in the department would account for how the fee was determined and no one was willing to take responsibility for determining it. I was advised that nothing could be done since all students taking the course have to pay the fee.

I have wondered who audits fees to determine their validity, because in this instance, it feels an awful lot like price gouging.

I remember hearing quite a bit about pushing for fee disclosure last year during the GSB election period. I wonder what ever became of that, because some of us are still waiting for it to happen.

Bryan Anderson

Senior

Animal ecology