ECU students could face a new student fee of $75.00 a year to help fund the athletics department.

Administrators met with students Tuesday to answer questions about the proposed increase.

Senior Associate Athletics Director Lee Workman says the fee increase will help offset an athletics budget shortfall for the 2019-2020 school year projected at $2 to $3 million.

Workman says ECU is among the lowest state universities in student fees collected, and has the second lowest budget in the American Athletic Conference.

He says that declining football ticket sales have contributed to the shortfall. Workman says, "We've had some declining revenue, to be honest, over the last couple of years, so that's added to the financial strain. And so while we continue to build those back, and we will, that's our plan. Student fee is a part of that as well as other funding sources we'll be looking at."

There are several steps left in the process to approve the proposed fee.

It would go into effect next July if approved.