Every year, thousands of dollars in student fees are allocated to various programs on campus in a multi-step process that involves hearings, discussions in Student Government Association, and, ultimately, approval by President John Bardo.

The fees fund groups and programs such as the Rhatigan Student Center, Athletics, Campus Recreation and The Sunflower.

The first step in the process is hearings, which begin Thursday and continue Friday.

“We get to hear from many departments on what exactly they’ve been doing to propel the student body and what they’re planning to do in the future with the funds they receive from student fees,” said Student Body President Joseph Shepard, who serves on the student fees committee.

Shepard said the committee hears from each program needing allocations and views statistics on the impact each program has on the university.

On Friday, the committee will deliberate how much will be allocated for various programs. Shepard said this year, not every group may receive funding due to budget cuts in education at the national level.

“It’s unfortunate that a lot of cuts have been made to higher education nationwide, specifically Kansas, too,” Shepard said. “We are going to have a difficult time in deciding who gets that funding. We are at a bigger shortage than we were last year.”

Once the student fees committee decides on allocations, the recommended amount of money is brought to Student Senate, which must confirm the amount as a whole.

 After Senate confirms those allocations, the recommendation is sent to Bardo, who can either approve the fees as a recommendation or have SGA rethink the allocated amounts, if he feels it necessary.

SGA treasurer Mariah Smith, who serves on the committee, said the student fees process is important for students to be involved in.

“It’s one of the largest budgets that students have an ability to have a say in,” Smith said. “It’s really important that students prioritize that and make sure to be involved in the process.”

Smith said preparing for a student fees hearing has been different because of turnover in administration at the university. Because of this, she said, students have had a bigger hand than they usually do.

“They’ve been really great about keeping us involved and making sure that we’re fulfilling the process correctly and making sure all the correct players are in the room,” she said.