Higher Education Committee approves N.J. bill inspired by Snooki

Jersey Shore may have gone off the air in 2012, but reality star Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi is still inspiring New Jersey bills three years later.

A New Jersey Senate bill was approved this week by the Higher Education Committee that would allow state college students to opt out of student-managed entertainment fees.

State Sen. Joseph Kyrillos (R-Monmouth) introduced the bill, S-703, after public outrage in 2011 over the use of student activity funds to give Polizzi $32,000 for an appearance at the school. During her speech , she told students to “Study hard, but party harder.”

College students & families should know exactly what they’re paying for & have a choice before their money is taken http://t.co/YgRqFVpQSi

— Senator Joe Kyrillos (@joekyrillos) June 11, 2015
“College students and their families should know exactly what they’re paying for, before their money is taken,” Kyrillos said in a statement on Thursday. “…We are giving students the opportunity to create and pay for the college experience they want, instead of forcing them to pay for frivolous events that do not contribute to the quality education that they deserve.”

Anthony Perry, director of legislative affairs for Sen. Kyrillos, says the bill is less about Snooki and more about transparency and oversight.

The legislation requires all colleges to publish a full breakdown of student fees both online and in an annual student consumer information report. The fees must be sorted into categories, such as “student-managed entertainment” and “capital improvement.” Students would easily be able to opt out of student-managed entertainment fees. However, students would not be able to opt out of fees that cover costs such as libraries, technology, health facilities and infrastructure.

Joel Rodrigues, a sophomore at Rutgers University, agrees with the purpose of the bill.

“I feel it’s unfair that students should have to pay for events that might not even interest them and aren’t given a chance to opt out,” he says. “This bill will save students from having to pay more in student loans than they already have to.”

Avalon Zoppo is a student at Rutgers University-New Brunswick and is a member of the USA TODAY College contributor network.

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