printable versionStudents to be charged mandatory health fee
BY KATHLEEN J. SULLIVAN
Starting in fall 2009, Stanford will charge all students a Campus Health Service Fee of $167 per quarter, the university announced Tuesday.
The fee will cover a variety of services at Vaden Health Center, including primary care medical visits, psychological evaluation and short-term therapy, and access to health and wellness programs.
"Fees for campus health services are common at many universities, including many of our peer institutions," said Ira Friedman, director of Vaden Health Center. "After careful study and evaluation, the Office of the Provost determined that the current financial circumstances warranted the implementation of a health service fee at Stanford. While the university is undergoing budget reductions, the fee will allow the campus to maintain access to valuable health services for students," Friedman added.
The mandatory fee will apply to all undergraduate and graduate students—as well as visiting researchers—enrolled at the university. This includes students participating in high school summer programs that result in course credit at Stanford.
The costs of these services have been moved from university tuition to a separate fee to ensure that it is equitable, according to Provost John Etchemendy. Some students who pay tuition cannot use Vaden Health Center's services, including those studying overseas. Others, including visiting students studying during the summer, use the center, but do not pay tuition. By separating the fee, as most universities do, Stanford can fairly distribute the cost to everyone eligible to use Vaden's services.
More information is available at http://vaden.stanford.edu/fees/index.html.