For group fitness classes at the Student Activities Center, students must pay to play.
This semester introduces the GroupFit Pass, which costs $10 per semester and is required to attend any of the Student Act's formerly free group fitness classes.
The new fee will help fund certification from the American Council on Exercise for the class instructors and personal trainers, said Pam Wiggins, group fitness coordinator.
"We're not asking that Auburn University or Campus Recreation pay all of it, but we would like to subsidize it," Wiggins said.
"So with that small $10 a semester, we're able to get our students certified."
Of the Act's 24 instructors, 20 are students. Although they have already received basic training--and some even have specialty certification in their respective areas--ACE certification is becoming the industry norm, said Bill Jackson, associate director of lifetime wellness and fitness.
"Gold's Gym and all those places are starting to are require that nationally accredited group fitness certification, not just a specialty certification," Jackson said. "That's just the way the industry's going."
Jackson said benchmarking other programs showed that some universities charge a fee for every class attended.
"If you go to a yoga class today it's 5 bucks--if you go Wednesday it's another 5 bucks," he said. "We felt $10 a semester for people to participate in our group fitness program was very reasonable."
At the University of Georgia, students choose from tiered passes, ranging from a single-use pass for $6 to an all-access pass for $125 per semester.
Jackson said while some SEC schools provide free classes, Auburn generally has more class offerings, with 71 classes each week.
An exception is the University of Florida, which offers 125 free classes each week.
In addition to certification, a process that takes two to three months and costs about $230 per person, the $10 fee will help pay for the instructors' continuing education classes.
Wiggins said the money will not fund construction of the Recreation and Wellness Center, slated for completion in spring 2013, nor will it fund higher pay for employees.
"It's to improve the quality of our program," Wiggins said. "In order to sustain a quality program, you have to have professional development."
Olivia Franklin, junior in architecture, said she does not think certification will make much of a difference.
"I've been going for the past two years," Franklin said. "The classes were good then, and they're good now. I'm out-of-state, so it seems like they could find $10 in the money I'm paying."
Jackson said certification will help instructors provide the safest classes possible.
"We have to be concerned about the safety of our participants and to make sure they're getting the type of fitness activity they deserve," Jackson said.
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