Student Body President Blake Cox plans to write a resolution on behalf of students and the Student Senate to support UF’s proposed raised athletics and health fees.
“I feel very strongly about this,” he said at a Tuesday Senate meeting.
UF sent an email to students on Monday detailing a proposed change to student fees. Athletic fees would increase by $1.56 per credit hour to reflect the improvement of collegiate athletics over the past two decades, the email said. The increase looks to improve “engagement and experiences” at athletic events.
The athletic fees go toward covering and purchasing Gator sports tickets. If approved, it’ll go into effect Fall 2026. The UF Board of Trustees will vote on the proposal at its Dec. 4 meeting.
The current athletic fee of $1.90 has remained unchanged for 25 years. If approved, undergraduate students taking 12 credit hours would pay $41.52 per semester for the athletic fee, an increase from the current $22.80.
The email added the health fee increases of $0.27 will be used to supplement new hires at the Disability Resource Center in order to reduce wait times and strengthen “accessibility services for students,” the email said.
The Disability Resource Center has experienced a 350% increase in registered students seeking services in a decade, UF spokesperson Cynthia Roldan told The Alligator earlier this semester. Over 18,000 exams were administered at the center in 2024, an increase of about 4,000 from 2023, according to Roldan.
Money from the increased fees would help the resource center fund five Accessibility Specialists and more closely align UF’s staff-to-student ratio with peer institutions.
Health fees are serviced to many campus-wide health initiatives. At the Student Health Care Center, the tuition fee covers student financial responsibilities for most visits, including brief medical evaluations with a physician.
The current health fee of $15.81 has been stable since 2015. If approved, undergraduate students taking 12-credit hours would pay $192.96 per semester instead of $189.72.
The Board of Trustees will review the proposal Dec. 4, and Cox said he plans to write the supporting resolution within the next two weeks.
Contact Maria Arruda at marruda@alligator.org. Follow her on X at @mariazalfarruda.
Maria is the Fall 2025 student government reporter for the Alligator. She's a sophomore journalism and political science major at UF and hopes to work as a political correspondent one day! Maria loves to read, hang out with her friends, see her family and go to the gym in her spare time.
