Floyd students must pay $20 fee to graduate
By Jennifer Allen
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Assistant Editor
As of July 1, 2003, a $20 graduation fee must be paid by anyone petitioning to graduate from Georgia Highlands College.
According to Marsha Welch, registrar, the fee was established due to the tight budget and also due to the fact that before the graduation cost had been taken out of the Student Life account. This student activities money is used to fund activities for students throughout the year. �This allows Student Life more money to plan additional student activities,� said Welch.
Since a good amount of the Student Life budget is already reserved in order to rent the Forum for the graduation ceremony, the fee is a big help to the account, according to Welch.
The money collected from the graduation fee goes directly to pay for the diplomas, diploma covers and other expenses dealing with commencement activities, and according to Welch �is not a money maker.�
Every student who receives a diploma is required to pay the fee, which Welch thinks is �a reasonable cost.�
Even students who do not wish to participate in the graduation ceremony still must pay because they still receive a diploma through the mail, which is actually more expensive for the college due to the fact that it must buy the envelopes and postage, said Welch.
The only exception to the graduation fee is the students who receive a certificate from Georgia Highlands College and not an actual Jostens diploma. According to Welch, the reason for this is that the certificates are made at Georgia Highlands College; therefore the college does not have to send away for them.
Dustin Jones, nursing major, said, �I think the fee is justifiable, especially when compared to other colleges and their more expensive graduation fees.�
Welch commented that Shorter College's fee is $150.
Welch added that Georgia Highlands College students have been very accommodating in paying their fee on time and overall the Admissions Office has had no problems with students contesting the fee.
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