About

The Wellness Initiative Fee

The Wellness Initiative Fee is a monetary student fee ratified during the 2015 ASUC General Elections (AKA The Wellness Referendum Fee). The proposed fee is not only designed to continue existing wellness fees, but also provide the means to fund new wellness programs at UC Berkeley. Areas of emphasis for the Wellness Initiative Fee include the following:

  • Continuation of existing Recreational Sports Programs and Services
  • UHS Wellness Improvements
    • Extended Tang Center Hours
    • Counseling and Psychological Services
  • New Wellness Services
    • Cardio, Strength Training, and Multi-Purpose Spaces
    • Relaxation, Yoga & Meditation Spaces
    • Health Classes
  • Diversity Student Wellness Programs
  • Sexual Assault Prevention and Support Programs
  • Wellness Financial Sustainability Plan

A detailed breakdown of the fee itself can be found below.

Fee Breakdown

Starting in 2015-16, the following existing fees totaling $93.50 will be replaced with $92 of the total $146 Wellness Referendum Fee:

  • 2006 Recreational Sports Fee for Fall, Spring and Summer, scheduled to increase to $55 and expiring at the end of the Spring 2016.
  • 1981 Intramural Sports Facility Fee at $28.50 assessed in Fall and Spring, expiring at the end of Spring 2017 (not currently assessed in Summer).
  • Voluntary RSF membership fee of $10 that students are required to pay to access RSF facilities and services (charged separately in Fall, Spring and Summer).

Starting in 2015-16, a new fee of $54 included in the total $146 Wellness Referendum Fee will be used to fund the following expenditures (ordered largest to smallest):

  1. UHS extended hours and counselors in primary care [52% of net fee revenue or $19]
  2. Mandatory return of one-third (⅓) of fee revenue to financial aid in accordance with campus policy to help offset the cost of this fee for the neediest students who are eligible for campus-based financial aid [$18]
  3. New wellness services including operational, furnishings, and alteration costs to provide such services [31% of net fee revenue or $11]
  4. Diversity student wellness programs and associated cost [11% of net fee revenue or $4]
  5. Sexual Assault Prevention and Support Programs [3% of net fee revenue or $1]
  6. Wellness financial sustainability officer [3% of net fee revenue or $1]
  7. If supplementary funds come in for the same purposes delineated here, the Wellness Referendum Fee Advisory Committee may recommend that the fee be decreased accordingly.

The Wellness Referendum Fee will be assessed for 30 years starting in Fall 2015 through Spring 2045 and will be collected during fall, spring and a reduced amount (75%) in summer. The revenue generated by the fee is intended to supplement but not supplant existing or future funding for the services described in this proposal.