WATERLOO — The University of Waterloo's student newspaper has been handing over cash to hundreds of students this week — part of a growing number of undergrads demanding refunds for their student fees.

It's the latest from the so-called "opt-in" movement on campus, and comes after the president of the Waterloo student federation sent an email to all undergrads telling them how they could get their $4.35 fee back from the Imprint newspaper.

Student fees have been a contested topic at Waterloo lately. Last fall, students voted in a referendum to pull $270,000 in annual funding from Waterloo Public Interest Research Group (WPIRG), which critics accused of embracing increasingly radical political causes.

Those fees, paid in addition to tuition, vary by program and can add up to hundreds of dollars. The money supports a range of student groups, a refugee program, health and dental benefits, scholarships, bursaries and more.

Although they're paid upfront, the fees technically are voluntary — which means student groups are required to return them to students if that is requested.

That's left Imprint staff scrambling in the last few days as hundreds have lined up outside the newspaper's office, doing just that.

"We give them cash, because we can't afford to write all those cheques," said Imprint advertising and production manager Laurie Tigert-Dumas. "We couldn't control the numbers in the office, there were so many people in here."

For now, Imprint's chair Jesse McGinnis said those requesting refunds are still a small portion of a student body of roughly 31,000 undergrads. But if the refund demands continue, it could mean broader cuts to the budget of a student newspaper that has been publishing since 1978.

"If it spikes massively and continues to do so, obviously that will be troublesome for our organization," McGinnis said. "But it hasn't hit alarming levels yet."

Student fees account for about half of Imprint's operating budget, he said.

The newspaper understands the financial burdens on students today, he said. And the refund requests are a reminder Imprint needs to stay relevant to the people paying its bills.

"We're not upset at students for getting their refund, because that's their right … The challenge is making sure students see the value in the fee they're paying us," McGinnis said.

That's why the student newspaper has been changing the way it delivers campus news. It's become more online-focused, is trying to increase its visibility on campus and has brought in a broader range of directors to appeal to a wider section of the university community, he said.

Still, he's disappointed the student federation didn't offer any discussion on the benefits of Imprint, and instead only offered instructions on seeking a refund that's essentially worth "the price of going to Starbucks."

"I think students don't have the full picture, which is unfortunate," he said.

The student federation, meanwhile, said it was simply acting on the orders of its elected student council when president Chris Lolas instructed undergrads how to seek refunds.

Since the referendum decision to defund WPIRG won't come into effect until the spring term, students were still charged a $4.75 fee this term. The student government said it wanted to show students how they could claim that, and included the same information for other refundable fees, in an effort to be transparent.

"It's definitely a tricky issue, and as an organization that is funded by student fees, we're very aware of it," said Sarah Wiley, vice-president of education for the student federation.

"We have a really engaged group of students on campus who are looking for transparency, not only from (the student federation), but everybody at the university about where their money is going. So we're just responding to what students want."

While her student federation's fees of $56.26 per term are non-refundable, she hopes most students will choose to keep their support for other refundable fees, like those that support the campus newspaper.

"What (the student federation) and Imprint do are very important to the student experience," Wiley said. "We just need to keep working to make sure students see the value in what we have, and when they do, I think they'll be wiling to pay for it."

So-called "opt-in" supporters have reached a critical mass within Waterloo's elected student government, said Tristan Potter, a director at large with Imprint. Some are pushing for dramatic changes to the way student groups are funded on campus — arguing fees should be voluntary, rather than automatic but refundable.

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The problem is many students seeking refunds may not be aware of how their fees contribute to campus life, he said.

"There are a number of students on campus who have become unhappy with paying fees, particularly student fees," Potter said. "But I don't think most students are aware of what the student-run organization on campus do ... I think this is just 'Oh, I can get $4?'"

The university, meanwhile, is watching the refund issue, but says it won't get involved in a matter of student governance. The student federation is an independent corporation that "has full authority to establish or amend the funding structure" of the groups it collects money for, according to associate provost for students Chris Read.