Becoming a college student is expensive. Texas State provides a multitude of different services that students have access to but may not utilize or be aware of. These services are important in why Texas State can pride themselves in having so much support for their students. However, when students who are financially independent come into question, this creates the issue of students paying for services they don’t use when that money could go towards living expenses. It’s understandable that these fees are in place because the university needs money to pay for the expenses of each service they offer. Regardless, financially independent students would benefit from having alternative options instead of adding these fees to their tuition.
Map of Texas State Services:
A lot of Texas State’s services can be found at the LBJ Student Center. Each service listed provides details on what they do to support the student body. Joanne Ramos, a sophomore at Texas State, is an advocate for the Student Health Center. “One of my favorite services that the school offers is the Student Health Center because they provide ten free counseling sessions and supply students access to a psychiatrist” “I think there are a lot of services students don’t utilize because they don’t know the positives of using them,” Ramos said.
Southwell starts her day off by going to her classes on campus. Most of her classes are typically in the agriculture building. (Photo Credit: Kelsi Hopkins) 
It’s important to her that she stay busy and makes time to go to the Recreational Center. This is one of the services Southwell is happy to pay for. (Photo Credit: Kelsi Hopkins) 
Sadie Southwell has been working as a vet tech for the past three years. She goes to work five days a week. (Photo Credit: Kelsi Hopkins 
Usually, she will pack herself a lunch to eat once she arrives at the vet. Each week she preps lunches for the following days. (Photo Credit: Kelsi Hopkins) 
At work, Southwell cleans up the animals play area, kennels, and administers vaccines. Sometimes she is able to scrub in on surgeries with the Doctor. (Photo Credit: Kelsi Hopkins) 
When Southwell arrives at home she continues her classes virtually. About half of her classes are held online. (Photo Credit: Kelsi Hopkins) 
Every week she schedules an appointment with the Student Health Center for counseling. This is another service Southwell utilizes. (Photo Credit: Kelsi Hopkins) 
She ends her day by making herself dinner. She then unwinds and prepares for the rest of the week. (Photo Credit: Kelsi Hopkins)
Texas State provides a breakdown of what each student pays for per semester. While these fees do go towards the services that are available to Texas State Students, not every student utilizes these services. Sadie Southwell, a senior at Texas State, is financially independent along working a full-time job. “I don’t feel like I should be paying for services I don’t use because that feels like a waste of money that could be going towards my everyday needs,” said Southwell. This raises the question, how can this be avoided for students who are financially independent? Kathy Davidson, a Financial Services Advisor at Texas State University, explained why students are required to pay these fees.
Breakdown of all Student Fees Per Semester:
Over the past nine years, tuition at Texas State has steadily increased. These stats were pulled from the tuition overview on Texas State University’s website. According to Davidson, the increase in tuition comes from “the school needing more funding for programs and upgrades for reconstruction on Texas State property.”
Increase in Tuition over the past 9 Years:
The increase in the cost of living has skyrocketed over the last nine years. This is due to the cost of living going up in San Marcos and other nearby cities. There is also a major increase in students at Texas State and more people living in San Marcos in general. This information can be found on the Texas States website under Cost of Attendance.
Increase in Living Costs over the past 9 Years:
The Student Health Center offers a multitude of different services. All services are available by appointment and counseling sessions are available through zoom, if necessary. Their website includes information about the current COVID-19 cases on campus as well as how to stay safe from the virus, what to do when you feel sick, and where testing stations can be found on campus.
The Career Services at Texas State provide students and alumni with career assistance based on each major. They help advise students to develop their decision on what major they choose, what career they are interested in after graduating, and revise and edit resumes for future careers.
The Student Learning Assistance Center (SLAC) is an academic program that guides students on how to better their grades. The SLAC website includes information on how students can succeed in college. They offer tutoring, learning workshops, supplemental learning, and learning specialist consultations free of charge.
Attorney for Students has been offered at Texas State for over 47 years. This service offers a multitude of different legal services such as property law, criminal law, business law, contract law, and many more. Attorney for Students does not cover any disputes between Texas State and students or staff.
The Office of Disability Services ensures students on campus have equal opportunities to be a part of university programs and have a reliable way to get to classes. Their duty is to recognize and appreciate the diversity of Texas State’s student body and let students know they are seen.
Each of these services is paid for through tuition, this covers the cost of the service no matter when you utilize it. This only adds to why it’s important to take advantage of Texas States services.
