The University of Maryland RHA voted Tuesday to approve a 9.33 percent dining fee increase and a nearly 4 percent housing fee increase for fiscal year 2026.

The proposed increase means students would pay an extra $281.50 a semester for a resident dining plan and a little more than $189 a semester for a traditional double room with air conditioning.

Dining Services fee revenue would increase by $4.8 million and the Resident Life and Residential Facilities fee revenue would increase by $3.4 million from fiscal year 2025.

[Behind the scenes of UMD’s Yahentamitsi Dining Hall]

The fees, which still need to be finalized, would go into effect during the fall 2025 semester and continue into the spring 2026 semester.

The fee increases first must be approved by this university’s student fee review committee and the University System of Maryland Board of Regents, according to Residence Hall Association president Samantha Briggs. RHA approves and discusses fee increases to advocate for students and keep fees as reasonable as possible, the senior government and politics major said.

The RHA Senate discussed two options for Dining Services fee increases and chose to approve the 9.33 percent Dining Services fee increase instead of a 7.59 percent increase. Senators said during the meeting that they chose the larger fee to avoid drastic increases in the future as costs continue rising.

RHA members also discussed how approving the lower fee could impact dining hall foods and efficiency.

“Increasing the fee ensures that dining can still function in its capacity and hopefully also implement new initiatives,” Briggs told The Diamondback.

Dining Services, Resident Life and Residential Facilities are self-supported departments, meaning they must generate their funding themselves, according to Dining Services director Christopher Moore.

Most of the Dining Services fee increase is to fund wages for the department’s staff, including student workers.

[5 questions with new UMD Dining Services director Christopher Moore]

“It’s fundamental to make sure that our staff feel supported because they’re the ones who make the wheels turn,” RHA vice president Michelle Ameyaw told The Diamondback.

Ameyaw, a junior biology major, said Dining Services funds also ensure choices are available for students with dietary restrictions and accommodations.

Another reason for the Dining Services fee increase is the rising cost of food products and operating expenses due to inflation, Moore said.

Moore acknowledged the financial impact that fee increases have on students, but emphasized the funds are needed to provide food and pay for labor.

About 65 percent, or $2.2 million, of the housing fee increase is for employee wages, according to Resident Life director Dennis Passarella-George. Some wage increases are due to a July state-mandated salary increase, Passarella-George told the RHA.

The housing fee increase will help pay off a laundry program contract that eliminated the coin and card payment system, fund dining plans for resident assistants and pay for insurance costs and overhead fees.

“We know that every dollar matters,” Passarella-George said.