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The Student Activity Fee (SAF) has been talked about a lot since it was introduced last fall.  

The SAF is a very valuable and essential fee that the school needs, especially now with the massive amounts of budget cuts.

The fee funds important and essential school activities.  If students knew what the money is being used for, there would be greater understanding of the need for the fee.  

The SAF is the $10 fee charged every time a student registers for a class. In its first year, it seems to have been put to good use and has potential to fund many more programs beneficial to students.

Where is the average student supposed to find where their money is being spent, and how can they benefit from the fee? Here is a basic breakdown on where the money is being spent.

The SAF was discussed at the Aug. 3 meeting of the Board of Trustees.  The minutes of that meeting detail what the SAF was being spent on over the 2010-2011 school year.

Of the $453,346 raised by the fee, roughly $127,000 of that money went to funding student clubs. PCC has over 75 clubs and organization on campus, everything from politics to poetry.  

“Events put on by clubs or otherwise [funded by] by the SAF money are open to all students, are free, and usually have food, also free,” said Student Trustee Alex Soto. These clubs have access to resources that students alone cannot access.

The fee also gave PCC educational programs almost $100,000 is funding.  This money went to fund things like Associated Student events, performing arts and intramural sports.

Soto added, “In the activity fee’s first year, we have learned a lot in terms of what we can do.”  He also said that he will be trying to use the fee to extend library hours.  

 Another $100,000 went to funding the Metro student Transportation program. The program offers cheap metro and foothill area transit to all full-time students.   

  “Hopefully in the next year of so we can expand [the program] to more students,” Soto explained. The remainder of the money goes to other important services like the counseling, student success center, and counseling services for veterans, photo ID services, and many more very useful services.

Another things about the student service fee that many student may not know, is that the fee is refundable.  Students can get their refunds by going to the student affairs office.

The problem with the SAF is getting students more involved in the activities funded.

 If students want to help their education and the PCC community they should try joining a club, attending events,  they would then appreciate better the need for the activity fee.

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