An e-mail sent by the VSU housing and residence office demanding damage fees be paid has upset some of the students living on campus.
Four of the eight residence halls received bills for maintenance repairs in preparation for next year’s residence.
Each resident received an equal bill amount, but the price of damages varied by each hall. Hopper residents were charged $2 a person, Georgia $11, Lowndes $5, and Brown $10.
Many students feel after each person pays the small bill the university will have more than enough money to pay for the damages and is ultimately overcharging the students.
“These fees are ridiculous and a stupid excuse to raise money. I don’t think it takes more than a hundred dollars to fix all the items named in the e-mail,” said Hopper resident Aundrea Walker.
Many of the expenses included repairing vandalized evacuation plan signs, broken toilet paper rolls, and malfunctioning elevators, and replacing stolen equipment from custodial carts and missing room number signs.
At the current rates the university will receive estimated totals of $1026 from Hopper, $5379 from Georgia, $1000 from Lowndes, and $2000 from Brown, bringing the total for university maintenance repairs to over $9400.
Hopper resident Kaysee Forté feels she should not be charged such expenses when she does not live on or use the side of Hopper that was considered damaged.
“Aren’t there cameras in the areas when the vandalizing took place? This is B.S. I don’t even live on that side,” said Forté. “If the cameras work, all the university needs to do is show the footage to the Residence Assistants, who should be able to name the students, if in fact they are VSU students.”
The e-mail also asks the students to contact the housing office if they have any information about who may have done the damage, but without mention of reimbursing the students if in fact they do contact the office.
Holds are placed on all the residents’ accounts, which prevent the students from taking classes next semester or having transcripts sent out.
“I’m pissed off, I’m not paying $5,” said Lowndes resident Mircaly Pierre.