Students gave the OK for three fee increases. But they shot down the athletics and intramurals proposal in last week’s referendum ballot, knocking off what would have been $33 more each semester for students to pay.

The proposal asked for $32 for athletics and $1 for intramurals to maintain a level of services that include student jobs, membership in the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the California Collegiate Athletic Association and compliance to gender equity laws under Title IX.

The referendum’s failure means that athletics could be forced to eliminate half the teams, student-athletes and staff because next semester the program will lose its funding from the University General Fund to pad SF State’s $2.9 million budget shortfall.

The athletics department would not comment and referred all queries to the Office of Public Information, which released the unofficial results of the March 2 and 3 elections today.

But not all news was bad for the other three auxiliaries seeking fee hikes; Proposals for the academic instructional fee, career center and student health services each received at least a 60 percent approval.

If President Robert Corrigan and Chancellor Charles Reed agree with the outcome of the elections, students will pay $103 more each semester in campus-based fees.

A third of the student body, or 8,558 people, voted in the elections, which is four times more than the turnout for regular student elections.

“I am proud that so significant a number of students voiced their opinions by voting in the fee referendum, and I applaud their willingness to make some very difficult choices. Nearly three-quarters of those who voted chose higher fees to protect their higher education. It is one of the most remarkable, responsible and courageous student acts I’ve witnessed as an educator,” said President Robert Corrigan in a news release.

The Fee Advisory Committee will certify the votes on Wednesday, opening the door for Corrigan and Reed to make their decisions.