KSU: When an assessment is not a tax

I CONCEDE that I must be missing something here. But when Kent State University announces that it will "assess" students $24 per credit hour to cover some of the cost in upgrading its buildings, is that like a - take a deep breath - tax? Heavens. In today's tax-sensitive climate, have a I lost my senses to mention the hated three-latter word? So should I go the blackboard and write, an assessment is an assessment, and a fee is a fee, and a tax is a tax. That would will explain everything, right? How naive of me!