Student organizations may be able to apply for appropriation funding for use during the same semester they apply if the Appropriations Reform Act is passed by the Student Senate.

Appropriations is a committee within the Senate that hands out funds to all the registered student organizations each year. The process starts at the beginning of each semester and lasts for about two months.

“The big complaint we hear is that there aren’t any funds for same semester funding available,” said Zack King, the head of Appropriations and a junior studying political science. 

Having the Appropriations Committee open to student organizations only once a semester is not enough, King said. He hopes to change the current appropriations system by making it easier for student organizations to receive their funds.

“Currently for appropriations, you apply in one semester for events that will take place the following semester,” said Deborah Felder, assistant director of Student Involvement.

The proposed bill has three main points, King said. The main goal of the bill is to change the twice-a-year process to a monthly process to allow student organizations to receive funds in the same semester. Student organizations will still only be able to apply once a semester, but they will have more options as to when they can apply.

It takes a lot of planning ahead for student groups to ask for funding, according to Felder. It’s also hard for student organizations to predict what their expenses are going to be, or what their events are going to be a semester in advance, Felder said. 

“Student organizations are constantly switching their officers each semester, and with those changes in leadership, there may come changes in that organization’s planned events,” Felder said. 

The second point of the bill is to increase the minimum amount of funds that Appropriations receives from Student Government. The current minimum of funds that Appropriations must receive from Student Government is 30 percent, which is split within the two semesters. The bill hopes to raise the minimum amount of funding received to 35 percent. 

This past year, $98,000 was appropriated for each semester.

“Next semester we only have $61,000 to spend,” King said. 

The university has cut the amount of funds Appropriations received from Student Government even though Appropriations funds other campus events and offerings such as Wolfpack Pickup, Homecoming and Pack-a-Palooza.

“It’s going to hurt student organizations, especially since there has been a consistent increase in the number of student organizations being created,” King said. 

The third point of the Appropriations Reform Bill will allow registered student organizations to apply for funding from either the appropriations or finance committees. Under current regulations, registered student organizations can only apply to Appropriations and unregistered organizations can only apply to Finance. The intent is to ensure that registered student organizations and unregistered organizations do not double dip by applying to both Appropriations and Finance committees. 

However, the third point of the bill will monitor any double dipping and will give registered and non-registered organizations the freedom to choose whether they want to apply to the Finance or Appropriations committee.  

King believes this is a smarter process and will solve most of the problems that student organizations face when applying for appropriations.

“It’s my role to fight for student organizations, especially the money they get,” King said. 

If the Appropriations Reform Act is passed, it will take effect next semester.