Parks College of Engineering and Aviation dismissed rumors last month that they planned to adopt flight fees for aviation students, saying that the rumors had "no basis in fact."

This month, the Parks camp is singing a different song, to the tune of $3,500 a year for all students enrolled in the aviation science/professional pilots program.

"[That] statement was made in reference to a rumor of some $10,000/year flight fee. There was no decision made at that time, and I asked the students to wait for my written communication. The University's decision was made last week, and on Friday, students were promptly notified by e-mail," said Parks Dean Bjong Wolf Yeigh, Ph.D.

Parks students are hot.

"That was the deciding factor for me to come here," said freshman pilot Pat Mitchell. "[Parks] made such a big deal about SLU being the only school in the country that didn't charge flight fees, and now all [of a] sudden, 'it's by the way'…We should at least be grandfathered in. That's the least they could do."

Parks senator Joe Cirillo said in a recent e-mail to his constituency, "This issue represents a recent epidemic plaguing the entire university community. Students are not happy. They aren't going to feel a part of something if they aren't being listened to."

Cirillo, along with fellow Parks senator Joey Bloodworth, are meeting with Yeigh today to air their grievances with the fee's institution.

Both the senators take issue with the fact that the Parks administration promised that focus groups would be used in the decision making process.

"What made me even more angry was that I was told by Dr. Patankar that a focus group would be implemented before this decision was made. He told me point blank that the students will be heard, and it's pretty evident that they weren't," said Cirillo.

Yeigh said, "When the issue of flight fee was mentioned, concerned students wrote to me, Associate Dean Alan Stolzer, Dr. Manoj Patankar and Provost Joe Weixlmann. We have taken into consideration their comments and concerns. Many people assisted us in the analysis of flight fees. The Budget Office and the VP for finance helped us with various models. From the ASPP Department all the way up to the President's Office, many people were involved in the decision."

"We have been subsidizing each year for the ASPP program. Due to escalating costs, (fuel, insurance, maintenance, operations, etc.) we can no longer afford an annual subsidy at the level we have given previously," Yeigh said. "The annual amount of $3500 charged to all students enrolled in the flight program will offset these expenses somewhat but not cover the true cost of the flight program."

According to the e-mail sent out by Yeigh last Friday, the aviation science/professional pilot program is estimated to spend over $600,000 during the next fiscal year.

"This situation is simply not equitable for non-aviation students across the University, whose tuition dollars currently subsidize the flight program to an excessive degree," reads the e-mail.

Comparatively, Park's flight program will still rank as one of the most economical among its peers. Embry-Riddle's program, the most expensive program in the nation, costs around $130,000, with flight fees alone eating up $40,000.

"Remember that our ASPP students get roughly $2 million per year in total scholarship and financial aid dollars," said Yeigh.

Cirillo said, "I think it definitely has the potential to increase the program. Anytime there is an increase in money, there is more at the universities' disposal to do more things, like buy new fleets and do things like that."

Mitchell said that many of his fellow pilots are either transferring, thinking about transferring, or getting out of the program altogether.

"I filled out a transfer application when I heard that the fees might be $10,000, just in case," Mitchell said. "Still, it's going to cost me another $12,000 to $13,000 when I get out of school, and I'm only going to be making $20,000 when I graduate. I have to take out an extra loan to cover the fees; that is going to be in my name."

One of the main issues with this fee is the effect on incoming freshmen, whose decision to come to SLU and enroll in the Parks program hinged on its standing as one top tier flight schools that did not charge flight fees.

"I know a freshman coming in that just paid his first tuition check, and he just found out yesterday that he now owed another $3,500," said Mitchell.

Freshmen have until May 1 to decide if they will enroll in the Parks program for fall 2005.

"In the past years, we had students confirming their intention to matriculate up to the week before the beginning of classes," Yeigh said. "There is no doubt that flight fees will have an effect on admission numbers. We anticipate that the number may drop some. However, we are determined to keep the quality of our ASPP program extremely high. An education is more than just flight fees. Students need to consider the total package."

The $3,500 price tag will help to modernize the flight program, making it more "learner-centric," and it will enhance Parks' already highly competitive program.

Cirillo said, "It is up to the students of Parks. Start talking, get your message across. If this is something that we need to take up, we need to unite and take it up together, and express one unified voice, one unified unignorable voice. If this is what we want, if this is our battle that we're going to choose, lets take it wholeheartedly. And we'll go from there."