Students are once again being asked to help with the University’s energy bill by paying five dollars per credit hour along with tuition. An energy surcharge fee was reinstated this semester after a yearlong absence. The fee is being collected to help pay for electricity and other utilities on campus.

Michael Naquin, assistant vice president for finance and controller, said the fee is very limited in what it can pay for and has strict requirements of what is covered.

“The fee is very regulated and is only used towards academic buildings,” Naquin said. The fee does not cover auxiliary buildings like the Student Union and residence halls.

Students have to pay five dollars towards the fee for each credit hour they have scheduled for the semester. The fee was first instated in the fall of 2001 but has not been collected since the 2007 fall semester.

That semester, all full-time students were charged $60.

Naquin said it was well known when the fee was suspended that it would have to eventually be reinstated.

“None of us have a crystal ball,” Naquin said. “We had to monitor things closely for an opportunity to suspend the fee. “If there’s ever a way we can suspend it, we’re going to do that,” Naquin said.

Rather than focus on the fee being reinstated, Naquin said students should focus on the fact that the University was able to suspend the fee for a year.