The full-time students of the ISU are invoiced at least $ 162 per semester for a technology fee, but where do funds go, and why do some students pay more than others?
Beyond the other costs and tuition fees on their U factor, students of the state of Iowa are charged with technology costs based on credits taken in a semester and by major.
Standard technology fees are $ 192 for full -time undergraduate students. Standard costs for full -time graduate students are $ 162, with main amounts generally considered to be a larger figure. A full list of costs and designations by major is available on the University website.
“Different majors have variable technological costs mainly because each area of the study needs and resources of the study can differ considerably,” said Kristen Constant, vice-president of information technology services.
Majors who count strongly on technology, such as software, hardware or other laboratory equipment, see a greater funding need, further influencing the amount of costs.
According to the University’s website, the most important costs are $ 300, which is billed for undergraduate engineering, design, IT, agricultural systems technology or industrial technology.
“Technology costs are designed to cover the costs associated with specific technological resources and services that students use,” said Mike Lohrbach, Director of Information Technologies. “This includes software licenses, hardware and other technological infrastructure essential to their courses and projects.”
Constant explained the specific distribution of funds to various campus accounts.
“Colleges have been allocated to 36%, 61%and in the 3%library,” said Constant. “For colleges or departments that have additional costs, all these costs go directly to the college or the department.”
These figures are different for the costs collected from graduate students.
“If there are software or hardware that is very specific to a private department or college, they use their technology costs for this purpose,” said Constant. “The software paid via central technology costs is universally accessible to all students.”
A wide range of technologies covered by costs is used daily by thousands of students. According to Lohrbach, some resources include the following elements:
- Wireless
- Microsoft suite
- Cloth
- Audiovisual equipment (conference rooms or classrooms)
- Software licenses
- Cybox
- Grammar
Since these costs are not evaluated according to use, students could optimize their use using the resources available from ISU information technologies.
“Students can maximize the use of technology covered by these costs by taking full advantage of the available resources,” said Constant. “This includes the use of computer laboratories, access to software and services provided by the university and attendance for courses to use the equipment of the conference room.”
Constant added that beyond the equipment, there are also services to consider.
“In addition, students must remain informed of the various technological services and support at their disposal, such as the solution center, the ISU self-service portal and training sessions,” said Constant.
A large part of the technological side of campus operations focuses on the future. As technology evolves, a goal is to keep the ISU up to date using funds collected.
“Other important details include the distribution of funds to support current technological upgrades and maintenance, ensuring that the university’s technological infrastructure remains current and reliable,” said Constant.
Other uses of costs are preventive cybersecurity measures, laptop loans and efforts to improve digital accessibility. In the future, technological progress allowances could be made.
“Emerging technologies, such as AI, have unique opportunities but may also require additional investments,” said Constant.
According to the Iowa Board of Regents, technology fees for the 2025-26 school year are offered to increase by $ 10 per year.
For more information, visit the Compulsory cost website.