On Wednesday, the UF Graduate Student Council unanimously passed a resolution opposing additional student fees for the renovation of the Reitz Union. This measure was taken to contest the recent resolution passed by UF Student Government proposing such fee increases.
What some may not know is that Bright Futures would shelter most UF undergraduate students from an actual increase in their out of pocket expenses. However, all graduate students pay fees out of pocket since fees are not covered by tuition waivers. SG’s proposal, if supported by the state, would saddle graduate students with real additional fees for a project the Graduate Student Council opposes. Since it will cost most undergraduate students nothing, the proposed funding structure for this project may seem logical to SG members (nearly all of whom are undergraduates). However, graduate students will actually carry the cost of this project for decades to come.
