ABOUT
THE COLLEGE

History of Cal Poly College Based Fee

In 2002, Cal Poly students agreed to increase their fees in order to ensure the quality and value of their degree. The $200 quarterly fee - adjusted for inflation - is one portion of the overall registration costs each student pays to enroll at Cal Poly. The College Based Fee (CBF) revenues go directly to the department/program of the student paying the fee.

Since 2002, the CBF has provided resources to meet the demand for courses, hire and retain instructional faculty, improve access to labs, maintain and upgrade labs, support student and club projects, and acquire equipment and technology. Some of the outstanding examples of what the CBF has accomplished in the last five years include the following:

 

• ME hired a technician for the new machine shop in Bonderson, a facility that supports student design projects.

 

• Fees have provided funds for students to attend national conferences and design competitions. In March 2009, CBF will fund six students in the International Computer Engineering Experience (ICE-X) to travel to Malta to map ancient cisterns.

 

• Using mainly CBF funds, the College established the only Biomedical Engineering degree program in the CSU. BMED has enhanced Cal Poly's reputation and has facilitated industry collaboration and new project opportunities for students and faculty.

 

• Virtually every engineering department has been able to offer more sections and respond to enrollment growth. CSC, for instance, has provided an average 20 additional sections per quarter at 30 students per section (600 additional seats per quarter).

 

• CPE developed a dedicated senior design lab.

 

• In 2002-03, CBF funds provided $1.3M to overhaul and update college laboratories. Subsequently, CBF has provided $350K-$800K per year to maintain and upgrade engineering laboratories, including the acquisition of state-of-the-art equipment and technology, such as a Labview-based data acquisition system for AERO's jet engine. 

 

• CBF funds Capstone lab, senior design, and senior project student expenses.

 

• CSC established a tutoring center as well as a supplemental CSC 105 class for first year students.  The center and class are staffed by upper division students.

 

• Robots for the new CSC robotics program were purchased with CBF funds; AERO purchased a kit airplane that is now ready for flight testing.

 

• CBF funds have increased student access to labs by purchasing security and swipe card equipment, and by hiring student lab technicians to keep labs open nights and weekends.

 

• Many student clubs have received CBF funding for projects and travel, such as Roborodentia, Design-Build-Fly, and Cal Poly Space Systems.

 

To view a complete history of how CBF funds have been used over the last five years, click here.