By Eduardo Landa
Staff Writer
Commencement is only seven months away, but seniors graduating next semester should already be applying for graduation this month.
One of the things students might find when applying for graduation is the $65 processing fee.
“The majority of that fee goes for commencement,” said Tara Hardee, the CSUDH university registrar.
If you don’t pay this processing fee 48 hours after you apply, you will have a hold placed on your account.
According to the Cal State Dominguez Hills’ website, the regular deadline to graduate in the spring is Oct. 1. The late deadline is the last day of the fall semester.
If you file your graduation application after the regular deadline, there is an additional $15 penalty.
Many students find the graduation processing fees too high.
“They’re expensive,” said Elizabeth Adams, a journalism major. “Why isn’t it a part of the tuition, if we are paying for it anyways?”
CSUDH graduation ceremonies are held at the Stub Hub Center. With tickets and other costs to hold a ceremony of that nature, the university spends a lot of money, therefore it leads to high graduation cost for students.
Hardee said that while many students find the fee too high, there are many universities in California that are higher.
“Everybody’s price is different,” she said. The average graduation application fee for CSUs is $55, which is $10 less than what students pay here at Dominguez Hills.
Cal State Fullerton’s fee is the highest in the CSU system at $115. Cal State Bakersfield is a bit more than Dominguez at $70.
This issue is not unique to the California State Universities. Both the University of Cincinnati and Valdosta State University in Georgia, for example, have had issues with graduation fees, as students believe they’re too high and there is no transparency.
