If college students who come to Boston think they're already paying a lot -- the I-Team has learned they could be paying even more.
Chief Correspondent Joe Shortsleeve has learned that one city councilor wants to charge a fee to every private college student in the city.
He says it's not because students don't pay enough, but because colleges are paying too little for the city services students use.
Boston is the ultimate college town, drawing students from all over the world. But they are expensive guests to host, using all types of municipal services.
Boston City Councilor Stephen Murphy says someone needs to help pick up that tab. The I-Team has learned Murphy has filed legislation to do just that.
Murphy says, "It requests a per student fee of $100 per student per semester for students who are not permanent residents of the city of Boston that go to our private non profit colleges..."
How much money is that? It's estimated that if the 80,000 college students who come to school in Boston paid $100 each semester -- the city would collect an additional $16 million a year.
Councilor Murphy adds, "The only thing growing around here are enrollments and endowments, and I want colleges and universities to step up and say we are going to be a better partner. We agree that we bring some cost to the city's taxpayer, and we are going to compensate by offering this money on behalf of the students we accept."
Murphy says the cash-strapped city has no choice when you consider the numbers. As the I-Team recently reported colleges and universities are exempt from paying property taxes. Take Northeastern University for example -- with real estate valued at more than $1.3 billion -- it contributes only about $30,000 in what's called a "pilot" or payment in lieu of taxes. Other schools are like Emmanuel College and pay nothing on property valued at $165 million.
Many of these schools have endowments into the billions, and it's a proposed fee they could easily just pass along to the students, many of whom are already paying more than $50,000 a year to study here.
Students at Northeastern had these reactions"
"I don't think I would be OK with that. I already pay a lot of money to go here," one student said.
Another said, "I am already broke because we go to school, and we are here to learn and not pay money."
No surprise colleges don't like Councilor Murphy's legislation.
In a statement to WBZ an association representing area colleges says, "Colleges and universities have not been immune from the current economic situation. They are facing their own budget issues. To try to fix these problems on the backs of a sector that is critical to the economy of the city and the state would undermine efforts to steer Massachusetts towards economic recovery."
Councilor Murphy says he is planning a public hearing on the student fee in the fall. And everyone is invited free of charge.
Under this proposal the fee would be waived for students who are residents of the city. Similar ideas have also been floated in Worcester and Providence, Rhode Island.
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