Referendum to take effect next spring

The athletic referendum which was passed in October will go into effect in September of 2010 raising the cost of tuition $10 per credit hour up to 13 hours per semester. 

The new athletic fee will free up a portion of the 1.4 million dollars of student services fees, which is typically used to fund athletics, Dean of Students Brian Nichols said.  

"The amount of money allocated to the athletic department is determined each year," he said. "The amount of money will be reexamined and a lot more of it will go to student organizations." 

Prior to the instatement of the fee, President Dan Jones must sign off on the amount and the Texas A&M System Board of Regents must approve the raise in tuition price, but Vice President Dr. Mary Hendrix said she does not think this will be a problem. 

"To my knowledge they have never turned something like this down," she said. 

Every spring the amount of money given from student services to each group is determined according to Nichols. With the new fee there will be more money for non-athletics. 

"Everyone else will get their funds," he said. "There will be a larger increase going to other organizations." 

As far as the fee itself, Hendrix said there is no definite answer for which sports will receive the most money. 

"I don't think we know [how the money will be allocated] yet," she said. "Everyone needs to know the full scope." 

This is the second time in two years an athletic fee has been presented as a referendum to the students of Texas A&M University-Commerce. Nichols said fee increases like these have to be presented to the student body to be voted on. The first time the referendum was brought up Nichols said it failed by 87 votes. This time it passed by almost 400 votes.