In order to maintain the high standards of education at EC, students have come up with a solution to a possible solvent in Auxiliary Service Benefits (ASB) funding, by proposing that ASB stickers be an opt-out fee at registration.

Auxiliary Service Benefits, which funds the student government and a number of other campus programs, is partly funded by the ASB stickers that students have the option to purchase at the time of registration.

“It funds the things that give opportunity and makes the college worthwhile,” Dillan Horton, vice president of ASO, said.

“We were trying to come up with an alternative solution,” Horton said. “We instituted an activities fee and tossed the idea around. It seems that an activities fee is the best possible solution, kind of like the health fee or student registration fee,” he said.

It used to be an opt-in fee, so you had to do work to pay it. As an opt-out fee, you have to do work to not pay it. This is the best possible solution to fund these programs, and we voted on the fee. Now we’re going forward with implementing the process, Horton said.

“I think the opt-out fee is a good idea,” Herberth Yuiz, 19, undecided major, said. “There are some people who will pay for this, and some who will the take the time to opt-out. That’s a choice,” he said.

“What it does for the school is it gives us tremendous quality,” Holliday said. “Student government, clubs, programs such as the honor’s program.”

As ASB fees have decreased, we’ve had to cut back on our programs, Joseph Holliday, director of the honors transfer program, said. The students voted, and the money will replace the ever-decreasing money that has been coming in from ASB, he said.

“We’re talking quality, not just GPA – the athletics department, the arts – that comes out of this tiny fee. We’re talking about a few gallons of gas, and what gives us athletics, arts and programs – it’s astounding,” Holliday said.

Now that EC is adding classes in the fall, our student body is going to increase, Holliday said. This is a perfect time to bring the fee in.

“I am confident that the ASB with go insolvent. There is not a way I can envision, ASB, or the college can envision that it would go any other way,” Horton said.