Each year, Student Government allocates over $150,000 to hundreds of student organizations across campus, provided through a $15.50 annual student fee, according to a breakdown from the Cashier’s Office. Student Government’s Appropriations Committee is responsible for this disbursement of funds, and seeks to provide for as many student organizations as realistically possible.
Paul Cray, a fourth-year Ph.D. student in comparative biomedical sciences and Appropriations Committee chair, said the actual amount available is determined by Student Involvement.
“We get a dollar amount from Student Involvement that tells us how much money we’re allowed to spend,” Cray said. “We actually don’t get that number until after the census day, when they finalize classes and fees. The amount we’re allowed to give out changes from semester to semester depending on student enrollment. Normally, the Appropriations Committee puts out around 100,000 dollars to student organizations.”
Student Government looks to make sure the impact of these funds are felt amongst students on campus, according to Student Body Treasurer Garrison Seitz, a second-year studying civil engineering. Encouraging student organizations and clubs to invest in themselves and grow their influence, the fees paid by students have a noticeable impact on how groups on campus function.
“We want to make sure that the money we give out is being used here on campus,” Seitz said. “If it’s not affecting students directly, we tend to not fund them as much. It’s student fees, so it should go to students. There’s some outreach organizations that only give the money when we want something to be done with it. We don’t want student organizations to be dependent on student organizations to make money.”
As for the organizations applying for funds, an online application and in-person interview must be completed for requests to be considered. The goal of the Appropriations Committee is to determine each organization’s mission as well as their budgetary needs.
“You have to be fully approved and considered in good standing with Student Involvement for you to receive funds from any organization on campus,” Cray said. “Last semester, I worked with SI to try and get as many clubs approved as possible. I actually extended the application because there were some clubs that were still waiting. As a committee, we have to sit there and go through applications to score them on how we feel they’re making a difference.”
When receiving funds, most organizations are unlikely to get the amount they request due to the budget being stretched so far. Effectively accommodating a little for everyone is difficult with such a large pool of requests to consider. However, new organizations can be exempted from this rule, Cray said.
“These small organizations, we like helping them,” Cray said. “If you’re a new organization and have never applied for funding before, you can get $300 for free. All you have to do is apply for start-up funds, and that’s no-questions-asked money.”
With the competition to receive money in the appropriations process, some organizations make flawed requests that lower their chances of receiving close to their requested amounts, Cray said.
“The number one thing people ask for is money for food, which is frustrating,” Cray said. “It doesn’t make a lasting difference to the organization. We would much rather enable people to fund themselves, rather than just fund some pizza. If we can teach people how to do different types of fundraising to make their organization successful then they’ll be less reliant on appropriations.”
Sometimes, organizations aren’t granted funds because their budget includes items outside of the rules for what’s fundable. Requests with philanthropic purposes or honorarium speakers (without charge and receipt) for example, are cases where student fees can’t be directly distributed.
The efficiency of transferring funding to clubs is lacking despite the rigor for an organization’s request to be received. The relationship between Student Government and Student Involvement has previously been under stress, but recent changes in leadership have resulted in improvements, Seitz said.
“Student Involvement is helping us out a lot more, they’re communicating with us amazingly now,” Seitz said. “They have a little committee for discussion of issues. In the past it hasn’t worked like that, and there were some big hiccups, but now it really seems to be working out.”
Student organizations on campus have plenty of opportunity when it comes to seeking funds and appropriations is a large, student-funded pool disbursed with the goal of going back to student interests. More information on the appropriations process can be found here, and information on tuition and fees can be found here.
