Senators discussed a bill Tuesday night that would double the administrative fee Student Government pays to UF.
The fee, which will jump from $150,000 to $300,000, funds student services like the University Police Department, IT services, the Human Resource Services and the UF General Counsel.
Senate President Pro Tempore Naadira Renfroe said SG is paying a higher administrative fee this year because its budget has grown significantly.
The SG budget went from $13.7 million to $14.4 million because students now pay 49 cents more for each credit hour they take, she said.
Renfroe said the services that the fee provides are also important because they pay for the police officers who work at SG events.
Progress Party Sen. Matt Vernon, who represents graduate students, also favored postponing the hearing and requested a line-by-line breakdown of the fee.
Vernon said he felt uncomfortable spending the money of his constituents without knowing the specifics of what it's going toward.
Unite Party Sen. Joey Regalado spoke in favor of the bill saying the fees are necessary for UF and SG to run efficiently.
Regalado compared the fee to paying taxes, adding people may not want to pay them, but they have to.
The bill was sent back to the Budget and Allocations Committee for further consideration.
Budget and Appropriations chairwoman Virlany Taboada, a Unite Party senator who represents District D, hopes to bring the bill back to Senate next week.
Student Body Treasurer Maryam Laguna will also offer a further breakdown of the fee at next Tuesday's meeting.
State Sen. Mike Haridopolos, R-District 26, and UF Graham Center lecturer, stopped by to speak to student senators about getting involved with politics on the state level, especially in light of the current debate on health care.
Senators questioned Haridopolos about Bright Futures and potential changes in the scholarship's requirements.
He said changes to the requirements, such as raising the qualifying GPA or making the scholarship need-based, will not be made any time soon, adding any changes would require years of notice.
"What I really want to make sure today is that first and foremost you will have a voice," Haridopolos said.
