Students who make appointments at the Student Health Center will now have to pay a fee for each visit.
The fee began on May 13 due to rising health-care costs coupled with no increase in student fee money allocated to the Student Health Center, said Olga Eaton, the center's director.
Eaton said this is the first time the center has initiated a visit fee for students.
Students enrolled in summer courses will pay $10 for an office or walk-in clinic visit and regular students not enrolled in summer courses will pay $25.
In the fall, students enrolled in six or more hours will pay $10 per visit while students enrolled in less than six hours will pay $25.
The Student Health Center generates 50 percent of its revenue through earned income. The other half comes from student activity fees that are a portion of the mandatory tuition and fees paid by students.
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Student fees are allocated annually through the Student Fee Review Board to University departments and organizations that provide services to students.
Departments apply for funding from the student fee revenue pool, which totaled more than $5.5 million last year.
The Student Fee Review Board serves as a recommendation board to the University president. The board acts as a joint committee with representatives from the Associated Students of UNM and the Graduate and Professional Student Association.
Beverly Kloepel, associate director of the Student Health Center, said because the board did not increase the center's allocation, it had to institute the new visit fees or cut more services.
"We were holding off for news from the Student Fee Review Board," Kloepel said. "We were hoping for an increased allocation in student fees to allow to avoid the fees. We feel the fee will keep some students from accessing our services, we were hoping to avoid having to do it."
ASUNM president Jennifer Onuska will chair the Student Fee Review Board this year.
Onuska said the board meets throughout the year and convenes in the spring semester to hold 30-minute hearings for groups requesting funding.
"Student Fee Review Board committee tries to be as fair as it can when deciding where to put student fees," she said.
More than 22 departments applied for funding last year, Onuska said.
Onuska added that 47 percent, or about $2.6 million, of the Student Fee Review Board's budget currently goes to the Student Health Center.
The Student Health Center requested a $366,200 increase this past year.
"The Student Fee Review Board knows the Student Health Center is a wonderful resource for students," Onuska said. "It's not that we don't want to give them their full request - we are a group with limited resources and unlimited needs."
Onuska said that students' opinions are taken into account when the Student Fee Review Board makes its recommendations.
Students can apply to sit on the board or communicate their concerns directly to ASUNM, Onuska said
UNM senior Matt Jobe uses the services at the Student Health Center often.
"I can understand why they need to start charging students more, but I did like the fact that I could go in for an office visit free of charge," Jobe said.
Although students have commented on how unfortunate the fee is, Kloepel said it has not affected the Student Health Center's workload this summer.
"The real test will be in the fall," Kloepel said.
