INDIANOLA, Iowa — Simpson students recently became aware of a new, but previously existing fee at Simpson: the graduation application fee.

This will affect students who are applying to graduate, which happens a year in advance of their desired graduation date, typically during a student’s junior year.

The fee is automatically charged to the student’s accounts when they submit their graduation application, so they are not expected to turn in say a check or cash with their application.

Simpson had this fee up until 2011 but was ended as a way to try and offset costs for students.

The registrar, the dean and the cabinet decided to re-implement the fee. When the fee was discussed in August, there was student representation from the Resource Management Committee.

Although the whole campus didn’t know until recently, students who are graduating next December were made aware of this in advance. Those on the registrar’s list to graduate next December were emailed about the fee Oct. 4. Student representatives from the Resource Management Committee were also made aware of the fee when they discussed it in August.

“Those who are planning on graduating December 2018 must submit their application to graduate December 2017, and that there is a graduation fee of $100.00,” the email said. The school chose to inform only those that the fee immediately affected.

The point of having the fee is to help cover the cost of the gown, printing, the diploma and other costs that come with graduating. It won’t be charged to student’s accounts until two weeks after their application is submitted.

Application to graduate fees are very common at other schools. Many will charge even as high as $200, and the fee increases with late applications.

Since the entire student body was made aware last week, students have mixed emotions. Junior Emily Parker doesn’t mind having the fee.

“I personally think that given the amount of money that we pay to have this education, $100 doesn’t seem like that big of a deal to me” Parker said. “I don’t get why people are so upset about it.”

As a junior planning on graduating in spring 2019, Parker will be subjected to the new fee along with her fellow classmates. It does not affect those who turned in their application last year.