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Traditionally, universities have provided basic student services, e.g., housing, recreation, social facilities, health care and counseling. With regard to health and counseling services, we were fortunate to have state funds to finance these areas and other student services for many years. More recently, however, the amount allocated by the state for student services has been continually reduced; in fact, our legislature has not provided adequate funding for health and counseling services for almost twenty years. The reduced amount that was provided in the budget, coupled with the restrictions place on the appropriation, made it impossible to maintain acceptable levels of service.

Following a review of the budget problem by the University Budget Committee, the Board of Trustees approved a $10.00 mandatory Health and Counseling fee beginning with the 1983-84 academic year. This fee was charged to each student attending classes at the Ellensburg campus enrolled for more than two credits to provide financial support for the Student Health and Counseling Center. The ASCWU-BOD was also informed during Spring Quarter 1983 of the necessity for such an obligatory fee.

Mandatory charges for health and counseling services are not uncommon among state and private universities. In fact, most of the four year public universities in our state had been charging fees for such services prior to the inception of Central's fee.

Subsequently, the fees were increased as follows: 1985 - $13.00/quarter; 1987 - $15.00/quarter and in June, 1989, the Vice President for Student Affairs recommended an increase in the mandatory Health and Counseling Fee to $21.00 to be charged to all campus-based students enrolled for six or more credits, up from the more than two credits that had been in effect. This increase was approved by the Board of Trustees beginning with the 1989-90 academic year.

The fee increased again in 1991 to $25.00 and in 1996 to $40.00. In 1995-96, conversations were held between the ASCWU-BOD and the Student Health Advisory Committee regarding a needed fee increase. It was decided that we should not use a gradual fee increase process, but move directly to establish a fee that was comparable with other state-supported institutions. In fact, in reality, our new fee was still less than other regional universities. For the 1997-98 academic year the fee remained at $40.00 per quarter. Additionally, a $25.00 Summer Health and Counseling Fee was approved for summer session 1997. Fall Quarter 1998, the mandatory fee for the academic year increased to $45.00 per quarter while the fee for summer session remained at $25.00. An increase to $60.00 per academic quarter became effective Fall Quarter 2002. Beginning Summer Session 2003, the fee will increase to $40.00.

The Student Health and Counseling Center is a fully staffed outpatient medical and counseling center located on the Central Washington University Ellensburg campus in close proximity to student residence halls. The staff at the Center offers a wide range of medical and counseling services available to all students enrolled in six or more credits attending campus-based classes. Many of the services are without charge and others have a minimal fee attached; usually a much lower rate than those charged by the clinics within the Ellensburg community. The mission of the Central Washington University Health and Counseling Center is to facilitate the academic achievement and personal growth of a diverse student population by providing prevention and wellness education, direct medical care, counseling, and outreach in residence halls and classrooms to benefit students and the University community. The Center is dedicated to meeting student needs with positive, proactive, cost-efficient delivery of quality, up-to-date services.

The only students who may have the mandatory Health and Counseling Fee waived are those who are enrolled for less than six on campus credits per quarter and those who have no access to the health services, e.g., who commute to CWU from out of the county for night classes only on the evenings that the Health and Counseling Center is not open and those who are based out of Kittitas County for classes such as student teaching and internships. Any request for waiver must be in writing to the Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, Central Washington University, 400 E. 8th Avenue, Ellensburg, W A 98926-7432.

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