After weeks of intense debate, students narrowly approved increasing the Student Activities Fee from $35 to $75 in a referendum vote held this week.

But by an 11 percent margin, students rejected a proposal to make the fee mandatory. The result of the split decision is that the fee is likely not to be covered by financial aid, as it will not be considered one of Harvard’s mandatory fees.

Of the 2,235 students, or 35 percent of the campus, who voted in the election, 53.2 percent voted in favor of the increase, while 46.8 percent voted against it. On the question of whether to make the fee, which is currently optional, mandatory, 44.4 percent approved the measure, while 55.6 percent voted it down.

While students rejected a mandatory fee, had that portion of the referendum passed Assistant Dean of the College Paul J. McLoughlin II said he doubted that Dean of the College Benedict H. Gross ’71 would have supported it.

“Dick probably won’t support a mandatory term bill increase,” said McLoughlin during an interview last week.

Gross declined to comment on his position on the increase.

Before it goes into effect, the increase requires the approval of both the Faculty Council, which advises Dean of the Faculty William C. Kirby, and the full Faculty.

Despite the defeat of the proposal to make the fee mandatory, Undergraduate Council President Matthew W. Mahan ’05 said he was happy with the results of the referendum.

“This is the beginning of a new era in campus life at Harvard. These types of increases never pass, anywhere,” Mahan said in a statement. “This shows that students are tired of the status-quo.”

The majority of the council supports the increase, and members have argued that student government organizations at other colleges receive more funding and can hold more campus activities and events, and fund more student groups, than is possible at Harvard.

“We’re feeling comfortable. We’re positive. We feel celebratory,” said Council Press Secretary Justin R. Chapa ’05. “We feel like we’ve won the December campaign over again.”

But council members who opposed the measure questioned the fact that less than one-fifth of the student body voted in favor of increasing the fee.

“Though this presents a tremendous opportunity for the council, approval from 18.6 percent of the student body is hardly a mandate—with the students so divided on this issue, we’re going to have to work hard to make sure the money is well spent,” Teo P. Nicolais ’06 said. “We’ll need to work closely with student groups and House Committees both in the planning and disbursement of council funds.”

While council members on both sides of the issue actively campaigned on House open lists and sent e-mails to every House asking residents to vote, turnout still was lower than the December presidential election, which drew 3,077 students.

Chapa said that he believes the low turnout was the result of a combination of “voter fatigue” and the nature of referendums in general