The use of technology is an integral part of the educational process at the University of St. Francis. USF has been a leader in educational technology and continues to offer our students more technology services every year. In order to continually improve our technology services and keep pace with the rapid expansion of technology, USF is changing how it assesses technology fees.

Previously, the University had two main fees to cover the cost of technology provided to our students. These fees were:

1. The Online Technology Fee was charged to all USF students taking online classes to help cover the increased cost associated with delivering online courses. The online technology fee was charged per-course: the more courses you took, the more you were charged.
2. The Academic Technology Fee (ACF) was charged to all undergraduate students on the Joliet campus to help defray the costs of classroom facilities, hardware, email, network data storage and student computer labs.

These two fees generally applied to two different types of students. Before 2008, and the advent of the portal, the University did not deliver a common group of technology services.

Today, every student taking a for-credit course, as well as many of the Teacher Academy/REAL students, receive access to the following technology:

1. Portal Access
2. Email
3. Network Storage
4. Every USF course has a Canvas course created for use by the teacher and students
5. Library Databases and other services

Alumni of the University also have many of the same technology services as our current students at no cost to our graduates. Alumni technology resources include:

1. Alumni Portal Access
2. Email
3. Electronic tutorials through Learnit.stfrancis.edu
4. Library Databases and other service
5. Access to Transcripts

During the past year, the University has reviewed its technology fees and has made the decision to replace the current two-tiered structure with a single flat technology fee.

Effective as of this summer session 2013, all students registered for a course at USF will be charged a flat technology fee of $125 per semester. All online technology fees will be eliminated.

Most USF students will ultimately pay less with this new structure.

1. Those students who take online courses will see savings ranging from $25 to more than $125 depending on the type and number of courses taken. A graduate student taking two 4-hour courses in a semester, for example will see their technology fee decrease by $125. A student taking two 3-hour online courses will save $75 in technology fees.
2. Joliet undergraduate students not taking any online courses will see a $10 per semester increase. An undergraduate student taking an online course will no longer pay both technology fees. This will save $90 in the fall or spring semester.

The new technology fee will affect all students with the exception of students enrolled in the College of Education's REAL program who will remain on the old fee structure. REAL students will be phased into the new technology fee during the fall semester.