[ETS/PARC List] ARRL VEC Announces Exam Fee Increase

[Drew Moore]

      ARRL VEC Announces Exam Fee Increase

On November 6, The ARRL VEC <http://www.arrl.org/arrlvec/> announced 
that as of January 1, 2009, the fee to take an ARRL Volunteer Examiner 
(VE)-administered Amateur Radio license exam will increase by $1, from 
$14 to $15. ARRL VE teams may retain up to $7 of this fee to directly 
reimburse their teams out-of-pocket examination expenses; currently, VE 
teams keep $6. This is the first time since in four years that the 
examination fee has been adjusted.

The FCC allows VECs to collect an examination reimbursement fee from 
each candidate who takes one or more exam elements. VEs and VECs may be 
reimbursed by examinees for out-of-pocket expenses incurred in 
preparing, processing, administering or coordinating an examination for 
an amateur operator license (FCC Rule §97.527 
<http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_2002/octqtr/pdf/47cfr97.527.pdf>). 
These exam fees help the VEC recover its costs of providing its services.

Every examinee at each ARRL coordinated examination session is charged 
the same fee in accordance with the annually-established fee schedule. 
Any person sitting for an exam, or having a new license or upgrade 
processed at a test sessions, must pay the exam fee applicable for the 
calendar year. The ARRL VEC's exam fee for calendar year 2009 is $15. 
Each time a candidate pays one exam fee, they are entitled to take tests 
for Elements 2, 3 and 4 as needed, up to all three elements under the 
single exam fee. Each time an examinee retakes an exam element (assuming 
the VE Team has different exam design available), another exam fee is 
charged.

Collected exclusively to offset expenses that are directly incurred in 
administering the VE program, VE teams may elect to keep a prescribed 
portion of each exam fee. All out-of-pocket reimbursable expenses shall 
be necessary and prudent, and must relate to the examination process in 
some way. VECs and VEs are expected to use good business judgment with 
respect to reimbursement amounts. The examination reimbursement fee 
cannot be used to offset non-session related costs and must be kept 
separate from other accounts.

Business expenses such as postal, utility, fuel and printing charges are 
increasing. Our VE teams are feeling the effects of the current economy, 
too! Teams are retaining reimbursement at amounts considerably larger 
than previous years. The amount of out-of-pocket costs that our VEs and 
the VEC are expending to provide authorized services in connection with 
Amateur Radio operator examinations continues to rise.

Recent ARRL VEC cost-cutting steps have included staff reduction, 
reduced printing charges of ARRL VE training material and exam software, 
renegotiating shipping and printing contracts and eliminating 
lesser-used services.

Only so many cost-cutting measures can be justified without cutting back 
significantly on services essential to our VE teams, our customers and 
our program. As a result, an adjustment was needed in the 2009 exam 
reimbursement fee if we intended to maintain the basic levels of service 
that our VEs, VE teams and candidates have come to expect.

The ARRL VEC permits its VEs to retain a portion of the exam fees they 
collect to directly reimburse themselves for out-of-pocket expenses 
incurred in setting up and conducting their examination sessions. As 
long as the expense is warranted and has been prudently incurred -- and 
the expense is specifically related to exam administration -- then the 
fee can be retained. The team should keep a complete record of the 
expenses paid (with receipts) in team records for two years. Records 
must be made available to ARRL VEC upon request. Costs not related to 
the exam session processes or paperwork are not reimbursable.

The ARRL VECs level of assistance and services to our Volunteer 
Examiners are without comparison. Exam supplies, such as paperwork and 
software, shipping costs both to and from the VEC and ARRL VE 
accreditation, as well as credentials, are all free of charge for our 
VEs. We maintain a toll-free number for our VEs and we even offer 
reimbursement to the VE team for their expenses. We appreciate the 
dedication and volunteerism of all our VEs in the field. This is why we 
offer so many services free of charge. This is why we have that same 
level of duty and commitment here. Every test fee we collect goes right 
back into the VEC program and to serving the Amateur Radio community.