(1) The general assembly hereby finds that, due to increasing financial restrictions, fees are increasingly being used as sources of revenue for state institutions of higher education. The general assembly further finds that it is important to allow the governing boards flexibility in managing student fees in the manner that is most effective for their respective institutions. However, the general assembly also finds that state institutions of higher education must develop meaningful processes for receiving and considering student input concerning the amount assessed in fees and the purposes for which the institution uses the revenues received. It is therefore the intent of the general assembly that the governing boards adopt policies concerning the definition, assessment, increase, and use of fees, including but not limited to the policies specified in this section, which governing board policies shall be in accordance with the policies adopted by the commission pursuant to section 23-1-105.5.
(2) For purposes of this section:
"Auxiliary facility" has the same meaning as defined in section 23-5-101.5 (2)(a).
"Commission" means the Colorado commission on higher education established insection 23-1-102.
"State institution of higher education" or "institution" means a state-supported institution of higher education in Colorado.
(3) Each governing board is authorized to require students to pay fees to offset costs that are specific to certain courses or programs or that otherwise exceed or are in addition to normal overhead and operating costs that are paid by tuition revenues. Revenues received by a governing board as student fees are not subject to annual appropriation. The costs for which a governing board may impose fees may include, but need not be limited to:
Costs related to the construction, maintenance, furnishing, and equipping of buildingsand infrastructure;
Costs that are unique to specific courses or programs and benefit the students whochoose to enroll in the course or program;
Costs related to student-centered facilities, services, or activities such as student centers, recreation facilities, technology, parking lots, child care, health clinics, mandatory insurance, student government, and other student organizations or activities;
Costs incurred by an institution that are in addition to the costs of direct delivery ofinstruction such as registration costs, costs for student orientation and graduation, and costs incurred in communicating with students and their families.
(4) (a) On or before July 1, 2012, each governing board shall adopt for each institution and campus that it governs an institutional plan for student fees. Each governing board shall ensure that the process for developing the plan includes the opportunity for meaningful input from the students enrolled at the affected institution or campus. At a minimum, the fee plan shall specify:
The types and purposes of student fees collected by the institution;
The procedures for establishing, reviewing, changing the amount of, and discontinuing student fees, including the level of student involvement in each process, which, at a minimum, shall include consultation with students whenever possible prior to the establishment of a new fee or the increase of an existing fee;
Procedures by which students may contest the imposition or amount of a fee and aprocess for resolving disputes regarding fees; and
(IV) A plan for addressing reserve fund balances.
(b) A governing board shall annually review and revise, as necessary, the fee plan for each of the institutions and campuses that it governs. In creating, reviewing, and revising the fee plans, a governing board shall collaborate with the student government organization at the applicable institution or campus. Each governing board shall make the fee plans available to the public on a website for the respective institution or campus. In addition, each governing board shall annually provide to the department of higher education and the commission a copy of the fee plan for each institution or campus it governs.
(5) The fee plan adopted for each institution pursuant to subsection (4) of this section shall include, but need not be limited to, the following policies:
(a) Fees related to bonds issued on behalf of auxiliary facilities on or after July 1, 1997. (I) (A) For any bonds or other debt obligations issued or incurred on or after July 1, 1997, on behalf of an auxiliary facility, the issuing or incurring governing board may assess a user fee against persons using the auxiliary facility that includes the amount necessary for repayment of the bonds or other debt obligations and any amount necessary for the operation and maintenance of the auxiliary facility.
(B) If a governing board uses revenues from a general student fee for the repayment of bonds or other debt obligations issued or incurred pursuant to this paragraph (a), the governing board shall specify the portion of the general student fee that is actually applied to repayment of the bonds or other debt obligations. The itemization of any general student fee, all or a portion of which is used for repayment of bonds or other debt obligations, shall appear on the student billing statement.
The issuing or incurring governing board may, subject to the restrictions specified inparagraph (c) of this subsection (5), pledge any excess revenue received from any user fee assessed pursuant to subparagraph (I) of this paragraph (a) or from any portion of a general student fee applied to the repayment of such bonds or other debt obligations pursuant to subsubparagraph (B) of subparagraph (I) of this paragraph (a) to the repayment of any bonds or other debt obligations issued or incurred on behalf of any other auxiliary facility, so long as such pledge of excess revenue from any general student fee authorized for the repayment of bonds or other debt obligations issued or incurred to finance a specific facility shall terminate upon full repayment of all bonds or other debt obligations, including refunding bonds or obligations, and all fees and costs related to such bonds or other debt obligations incurred with respect to such specific facility.
On and after the date upon which all bonds or other debt obligations issued, secured, or incurred pursuant to this paragraph (a) are fully repaid:
The amount of the user fee assessed against persons using the auxiliary facility, ifany, shall be reduced, if necessary, so as not to exceed one hundred ten percent of the costs incurred in operating and maintaining the auxiliary facility during the preceding year; except that the governing board may reduce the amount of the user fee to an amount not to exceed one hundred twenty percent of the costs incurred in operating and maintaining the auxiliary facility during the preceding year and set aside the additional ten percent in a reserve fund for repair and replacement of the auxiliary facility;
The governing board shall cease collecting any portion of a general student fee assessed for the repayment of the bonds or other debt obligations; except that, if no user fee was assessed for the repayment of the bonds or other debt obligations or if the amount of the user fee is less than the costs incurred in operating and maintaining the auxiliary facility during the preceding year, the governing board may continue collecting the specified portion of the general student fee that was applied to repayment of the bonds or other debt obligations so long as said portion of the general student fee is reduced, if necessary, to an amount that, in combination with any user fee collected for the auxiliary facility, does not exceed one hundred ten percent of the costs incurred in operating and maintaining the auxiliary facility during the preceding year. Notwithstanding the provisions of this sub-subparagraph (B), the governing board may reduce said portion of the general student fee to an amount that, in combination with any user fee collected for the auxiliary facility, does not exceed one hundred twenty percent of the costs incurred in operating and maintaining the auxiliary facility during the preceding year and set aside the additional ten percent in a reserve fund for repair and replacement of the auxiliary facility.
The revenues received pursuant to this subparagraph (III), either through a user feeor through a specified portion of a general student fee, may not be pledged for the repayment of any bonds or other debt obligations issued on behalf of any other auxiliary facility. Any amount of said revenue that exceeds both the amount necessary for the operation and maintenance of the auxiliary facility and any amount set aside in a reserve fund for repair and replacement of the auxiliary facility is surplus and may be used by the governing board as provided in section 23-5103 (3).
(b) Fees related to bonds issued on behalf of auxiliary facilities prior to July 1, 1997. (I) For any bonds or other debt obligations issued or incurred prior to July 1, 1997, on behalf of an auxiliary facility:
Approval of the student body is not required for any fee assessed for repayment ofsaid bonds or other debt obligations;
Approval of the student body is not required to increase any fee that is applied to therepayment of said bonds or other debt obligations if the fee increase is necessitated by a covenant in the authorizing bond resolution or other agreement for which the bonds or other debt obligations were issued or incurred;
Approval of the student body is not required to increase any fee that is applied to therepayment of said bonds or other debt obligations if the fee increase is assessed for the repayment of bonds that are issued to refund the existing bonds.
The issuing or incurring governing board may, subject to the restrictions specified inparagraph (c) of this subsection (5), pledge any excess revenue received from the fee, whether it is a user fee or a portion of a general student fee applied to the repayment of such bonds or other debt obligations, to the repayment of any bonds or other debt obligations issued or incurred on behalf of any other auxiliary facility, so long as such pledge of excess revenue from any general student fee authorized for the repayment of bonds or other debt obligation issued or incurred to finance a specific facility shall terminate upon full repayment of all bonds or other debt obligations, including refunding bonds or obligations, and all fees and costs related to such bonds or other debt obligations incurred with respect to such specific facility.
On and after the date upon which all bonds or other debt obligations issued, secured, or incurred pursuant to this paragraph (b) are fully repaid:
The amount of the user fee, if any, assessed against persons using the auxiliary facility shall be reduced, if necessary, so as not to exceed one hundred ten percent of the costs incurred in operating and maintaining the auxiliary facility during the preceding year; except that the governing board may reduce the amount of the user fee to an amount not to exceed one hundred twenty percent of the costs incurred in operating and maintaining the auxiliary facility during the preceding year and set aside the additional ten percent in a reserve fund for repair and replacement of the auxiliary facility;
The governing board shall cease collecting any portion of a general student fee assessed for the repayment of the bonds or other debt obligations; except that, if no user fee was assessed for the repayment of the bonds or other debt obligations or if the amount of the user fee is less than the costs incurred in operating and maintaining the auxiliary facility during the preceding year, the governing board may continue collecting the specified portion of the general student fee that was applied to repayment of the bonds or other debt obligations so long as said portion of the general student fee is reduced, if necessary, to an amount that, in combination with any user fee collected for the auxiliary facility, does not exceed one hundred ten percent of the costs incurred in operating and maintaining the auxiliary facility during the preceding year. Notwithstanding the provisions of this sub-subparagraph (B), the governing board may reduce said portion of the general student fee to an amount that, in combination with any user fee collected for the auxiliary facility, does not exceed one hundred twenty percent of the costs incurred in operating and maintaining the auxiliary facility during the preceding year and set aside the additional ten percent in a reserve fund for repair and replacement of the auxiliary facility.
The revenues received pursuant to this subparagraph (III), either through a user feeor through a specified portion of a general student fee, may not be pledged for the repayment of any bonds or other debt obligations issued on behalf of any other auxiliary facility. Any amount of said revenue that exceeds both the amount necessary for the operation and maintenance of the auxiliary facility and any amount set aside in a reserve fund for repair and replacement of the auxiliary facility is surplus and may be used by the governing board as provided in section 23-5103 (3).
(c) Restrictions on pledging of amounts received in fees. (I) Subject to the provisions of paragraphs (a) and (b) of this subsection (5), a user fee that is assessed against persons using an auxiliary facility that is not designated as an enterprise pursuant to section 23-5-101.5 may be pledged for the repayment of bonds or other debt obligations issued or incurred on behalf of any other auxiliary facility that is not designated as an enterprise, as provided in sections 23-5-102 and 23-5-103.
Subject to the provisions of paragraphs (a) and (b) of this subsection (5), a user feethat is assessed against persons using an auxiliary facility that is designated as an enterprise by the university of Colorado pursuant to section 23-5-101.5 may be pledged for the repayment of bonds or other debt obligations issued or incurred on behalf of another auxiliary facility that is designated as an enterprise by the university of Colorado, as provided in sections 23-5-102 and 23-5-103.
A governing board may not pledge a user fee assessed against persons using anauxiliary facility that is not designated as an enterprise for repayment of bonds or other debt obligations issued or incurred on behalf of any auxiliary facility that is designated as an enterprise or on behalf of the institution with which the auxiliary facility is associated. Except as otherwise provided in subparagraph (II) of this paragraph (c), a governing board may not pledge a user fee assessed against persons using an auxiliary facility that is designated as an enterprise pursuant to section 23-5-101.5 for the repayment of bonds or other debt obligations issued or incurred on behalf of any other auxiliary facility, regardless of whether the other auxiliary facility is designated as an enterprise, or on behalf of the institution with which the auxiliary facility is associated.
(d) Itemization of bond fees. Every fee, the purpose of which includes making payments on bonds or other obligations, shall be separately itemized on the student billing statement.
(6) (a) As soon as practicable following August 10, 2011, each governing board shall make reasonable efforts to provide on the website for each institution or campus it governs current information about the tuition rates and fees, including information concerning the purposes of the fees, charged by the institution or campus; except that the institution or campus may provide information about fees that are specific to courses or programs either on its website or in the most recent course catalog, whichever is appropriate.
As soon as practicable following August 10, 2011, each governing board shall makereasonable efforts to provide a function for calculating tuition and fees on the website of each institution or campus it governs to assist students in estimating their annual and total cost of attendance at the institution or campus.
Beginning with the 2011-12 academic year, each governing board shall ensure thatthe tuition bill for each student enrolled in an institution or campus governed by the governing board includes a clear itemization of the fees charged to the student.
(7) In establishing fees, a governing board shall comply with the procedures specified in the fee plan for the applicable institution or campus. In addition, the governing board shall provide to students at least thirty days' advance notice of a new fee assessment or fee increase, which notice, at a minimum, specifies:
The amount of the new fee or of the fee increase;
The reason for the new fee or fee increase;
The purpose for which the institution will use the revenues received from the new feeor fee increase; and
Whether the new fee or fee increase is temporary or permanent and, if temporary, theexpected date on which the new fee or fee increase will be discontinued.
(8) A decision by a governing board with regard to a fee shall be final and incontestable either on the thirtieth day after final action by the governing board or on the date on which any evidence of indebtedness or other obligation payable from the fee revenues is issued or incurred by the governing board, whichever is earlier.
Source: L. 2011: Entire section added, (HB 11-1301), ch. 297, p. 1411, § 2, effective August 10.