*************** The ARRL Letter Vol. 21, No. 45 November 15, 2002 ***************
==>ARRL VEC EXAMINATION FEE TO RISE
Starting January 1, 2003, the fee charged all applicants at ARRL VEC-coordinated Amateur Radio test sessions will increase from $10 to $12 for the year 2003. This fee is charged to anyone applying for a new amateur license or upgrading their operating privileges.
"While the number of examinees has remained relatively unchanged in the past 24 months, our cost of doing business--and the expenses incurred by ARRL VEs--continues to rise," said ARRL VEC Manager Bart Jahnke, W9JJ. "An adjustment was needed in the 2003 test fee if we intended to maintain the same level of service that our VEs and VE teams have come to expect."
Applicants failing an exam element at ARRL sessions where examiners permit retesting on the same exam element also must submit a retest fee of $12. Additionally, the maximum reimbursement ARRL VEC allows ARRL volunteer examiner (VE) teams to retain to directly offset their "prudently incurred" out-of-pocket expenses will go up from $4 to $6 in 2003 (this fee has remained at $4 per person served since 1991).
Jahnke said that adjusting the reimbursement level for ARRL VEs also was past due. For more information, contact ARRL VEC, vec@arrl.org.