By Matayah Escalante
At the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, the cost of attending college is not one set price. For many students, tuition is just the starting point, a baseline number to market to prospective students.
Underneath the headline cost is an expanding web of mandatory fees, access codes, program differentials, course-specific charges, online fees, and many more. These fees can add hundreds of dollars per semester to a student’s bill; the true cost of college can be unpredictable and sometimes invisible until after enrollment.
These seemingly hidden costs are reshaping students’ finances, influencing academic choices, and highlighting deep inequities. How could UW-Green Bay make this more affordable and predictable?
To better understand how these costs affect students, a survey of 20 full-time University of Wisconsin–Green Bay students was conducted for this report. Students were asked about the additional fees they have encountered, how much they have paid out of pocket, and how transparent they feel the university is about the true cost of attendance.
On paper, UW-Green Bay is one of the most affordable universities in the region, according to UW system data, its annual resident tuition rate stands at $8,984.92. As shown in Figure 1, this rate places it among the lowest in Wisconsin. UWGB’s Assistant Chancellor for Finance/CFO, Kent Bond, said that UWGB chose only a 4% tuition increase while “every other UW university opted to implement a 5% tuition increase.”
However, tuition is only the beginning. Once all the additional fees are tacked on, students’ bills rise by hundreds of dollars, if not more. Students surveyed reported spending between $150 and $300 per semester on just course-related expenses; several others reported $500+ in a single term. When surveyors were asked to estimate how much they spent throughout their time in college, many reported $1,000-$2,000; some surpassed $2,000.
Across various majors, the experience with additional fees is widely shared. Fees often appear suddenly, and students say they feel blindsided.
Where These Charges Come From
One of the fees, the Distance Education Fee is charged for each online credit between 12 and 18 credits. The fee is $20 per credit with refunds offered only during the add/drop period. This fee is one of the more controversial fees; students are repeatedly asking, “Why?”
A surveyor said, “It’s ridiculous to charge for an online class fee when it’s all that’s being offered”. Another said, “There shouldn’t be distance learning fees for classes that are not offered in person, especially during that semester.” One other surveyor very bluntly stated that, “It’s dumb to charge an online fee course when it isn’t offered in person.”
There are a lot of opinions on this particular fee, and UWGB is acknowledging this issue. Bond confirmed they are actively working on this issue, saying, “Recently, we announced a five-year plan to reduce to a nominal amount (and hopefully completely eliminate) distance education fees.” This recent announcement also comes during a time when lawmakers are also scrutinizing these online surcharges. Sen. Rob Hutton introduced Senate Bill 532. This bill would prohibit campuses from charging an additional fee for fully online courses, unless the fee reflected genuine added costs.
The bill states that 10 of 13 four-year UW institutions charge distance education fees and that within 6 of those institutions, students are paying $150 for a 3-credit course. This bill also highlights how students have no choice but to pay these fees when no in-person option exists or is available. Hutton argues that, “technology should make a higher education more flexible and less costly, not more costly.”
Another fee students typically run into is Tuition Differentials fees; students in certain programs pay additional costs. These programs include computer science, software engineering, nursing, and engineering. These differentials cover additional costs with a specific program. These provide the program with more enhanced resources and a high-quality educational experience. Funding labs, equipment, software, and faculty support.
Students are faced with a growing web of additional fees that are scattered across university systems rather than clearly presented in a single cost breakdown. After earning 84 credits, students are assessed a one-time academic records Fee of $45 to cover security-related costs.
Incoming freshmen are charged a $217 orientation fee; there is also a $220 parking fee, adding on to the total. While technically optional, it is functionally necessary for many students. Smaller charges also exist, including a $20 returned-check fee for insufficient or closed accounts.
All full-time students or equivalent (FTE) are also required to pay a Segregated Fee (SEG Fees). For the 2025-2026 academic year, that fee totals $1,575.12, used to support a wide range of services, such as the Kress Events Center, University Recreation, student engagement, athletics, and municipal services.
During the 2024-2025 academic year, the largest portion of the SEG Fees was directed towards sports programming and facilities, $798.77 per FTE, and athletics, $337.17 per FTE. By comparison, transit services received $2.47, and University Inclusive and Student Affairs received $14.04.
In addition to these charges, students encounter course-specific fees, which include textbooks, online access codes, lab materials, and required software. Nursing student Graciana Perez said the most surprising fee she encountered was for an online math course. “On top of the distance education fee, I had to pay $112 for Hawkes Learning in order to do anything for that class,” Perez said.
Although Perez said she saw the cost listed in the syllabus right away, she questioned how accessible such requirements are for other students. “It makes me wonder about those who do not have the means and did not budget for this cost,” Perez said.
Other students shared similar concerns. Freshman Teanna Maulson said she was caught off guard by the same software requirement. “Hawkes was a surprise that it wasn’t included with my class; I had to pay for it last-minute out of pocket,” she said. Maulson also pointed out additional charges she did not expect at all, including a fee to add funds to her Phlash wallet. “I do not understand why there is a fee just to add money,” she said.
Individually, these costs do not appear catastrophic; collectively, however, they significantly reshape the true cost of attendance and weigh heavily on students.
How are Students and the University Navigating These Costs
Bond explains that financial aid can cover these costs as part of a student’s cost of attendance. “Federal financial aid can cover all components of a student’s cost of attendance. This includes, but is not limited to, books and supplies, mandatory fees, course materials, and housing/meals,” he said.
Unfortunately, eligibility depends on the aid package, and many students don’t qualify for enough aid to cover their expenses. Others do not receive aid at all because of parental income, despite receiving no parental support. When surveyors were asked what they wished the university would understand about these additional fees, they emphasized the lack of support.
One surveyor shared, “I don’t have money to pay for these things because I get no financial aid, and I only work part-time because I have classes and homework. I can’t afford all these fees and extra costs.” Many other surveyors share the same problem: a lack of support, saying, “I wish the university would understand that my parents are not helping me pay for college, and by only caring about my parents’ financial level, I am taking on huge amounts of student loan debt.”
When students describe their experiences, surprise fees, unexpected software and program costs, and last-minute materials, their frustrations reveal a broader reality. Universities are shifting more operational costs onto students.
60% of surveyors pay for course-specific fees and materials out of pocket (see Figure 2); this includes lab supplies, digital access codes, design materials and software, and equipment. Even students who agree that some fees are necessary question the logic behind some charges. One surveyor wrote, “Cut back on unnecessary fees. I paid a course fee that was supposed to cover materials in my 3D design class, only to end up buying all my own materials anyway.”
Others say the system harms students academically. “I have to work full-time in addition to studying, which puts a damper on my education,” one surveyor wrote. “For the people who don’t get financial aid but also don’t get help from their parents, it puts us back so much,” another said. The most common theme across many comments is the growing feeling that UW-Green Bay does not fully understand or account for student financial realities. The countless fees fall hardest on students without financial support at home and those living paycheck to paycheck.
UWGB states fees exist because tuition does not cover the full cost of a student’s educational experience. “A fee must have a clearly documented, substantial incremental cost that tuition does not currently cover,” Bond said. He also notes that both state law and UW system policies regulate what fees can be charged. When Bond was asked what the university could do to make costs more predictable or standardized, he shared, “Our goal is for students to be able to easily understand the cost of not only their current semester, but their entire degree.
Much of this work focuses on evaluating and reducing fees. UWGB’s primary goal is to cut out all fees and rely primarily on tuition; however, “this transition requires careful financial planning and time,” Bond said. These goals directly address the frustrations students share, but they are only goals as of now.
When Transparency Falls Short, What Could Change
Surveyors were asked how transparent they felt UWGB is about extra costs; 45% rated it fair, and another 45% rated it poorly. When asked if they felt these fees were necessary or fair, only 5% (see Figure 3) agreed.
Students surveyed are not just describing problems; they were also asked to identify solutions. With full upfront disclosures of all costs, every course description should include required materials, software costs, equipment needs, online access codes, and lab fees, before students enroll, not after. Eliminating online surcharges for required online classes, students voiced their confusion with an online fee for classes with no in-person alternative. Many students also asked why there are no open educational resources or library-licensed books. One surveyor wrote, “Maybe having copies of common textbooks in the library would help.”
Reforming the way financial aid calculates student eligibility. Several surveyors highlighted the flaw in calculating aid based on parental income when parents do not contribute financially. This structural inequality leaves students who receive no aid or family support with the heaviest burden. Students who shared their experiences are not expecting college to be free; they are asking for more predictability.
They want transparency, not surprises, fairness, and not fees for classes with no alternative. Students want a cost structure that reflects the reality of their degree costs. As UW-Green Bay works towards minimizing fees, and policymakers push to eliminate online surcharges, students’ experiences show why reform remains necessary.