The Online Technology Fee is charged to all USF students taking completely Internet based classes to help cover the increased cost associated with delivering online courses.   The Online Technology Fee covers the following support and service costs:

•  The salary and operational costs of the Center for Instructional Delivery.  CID’s purpose is to assist with the development of every online course, the integration of new learning technologies into our classes, provide the faculty with training on how to teach in the Internet based environment, to provide technical support to faculty and students, to upload actual learning material and to manage all the online courses, and finally to provide the highest quality student support services and help.
  
  
• To cover the increased cost of providing all of our students with access to library services and the continued expansion of our library research databases that you as a student outside of Joliet IL. can access any time and from anywhere.
  
  
• The cost of purchasing, maintaining, and replacing all of the various network computers (servers) required to provide students with their online course, network storage area, email, portal and other server equipment.
  
  
• The telecommunication equipment that has to be installed to maintain Internet bandwidth for our incoming students.
  
  
• The compensation of faculty as they continue to develop new course to maintain a quality curriculum for our online students.
  
  
• The necessary funds that are required by each state for the university to legally provide a higher education degree.  Each state has their own process and fee structure which requires considerable time and effort on the part of the university.

These are the major cost area that the Online Technology Fee is designed to cover over the years.  There are small cost recovery areas that the fee assists in providing the necessary budgeting revenue.