How much will it cost?
Ball State University's Health Center Handling Fee
- $15
STI Testing Range
- $7-65
Total Fee for one test
- $22-80
Source: SGA bill
A bill calling for free STI testing for sexual assault survivors passed in SGA Student Senate March 2.
The cost of a single STI test ranges from $22 to $80 at the Ball State Student Health Center. Purdue University offers free STI testing for students twice a year, and Radford University and the University of Maryland offer it multiple times per semester. Indiana University does not offer it.
However, there were some concerns that arose during the meeting regarding the bill. Jake Peterson, on-campus senator, said the bill is a great idea, but he doesn’t feel that it is SGA’s place to be funding the service.
“We might be stepping over our boundaries as an organization," Peterson said. "This is an Indiana issue, not a student government issue."
Peterson also voiced his concerns on whether it was legal for SGA to even fund.
Another concern that arose was how victims will prove they were sexually assaulted. This issue was a hot topic, as several senators voiced how victims shouldn’t be re-victimized.
Jack Hesser, SGA president and one of the authors of the bill, said that reason is why he wants to fund it through the Office of Victim Services, so students will not have to prove they were assaulted.
Hesser also addressed the concern of why the bill only included sexual assault victims and not the entire student body.
“Hopefully, this is the first step to creating [the testing] free for all students," Hesser said. "At the moment, I can’t promise the funding for everyone. … I didn’t want to promise something we can’t support."
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