The Wichita State Student Government Association read the proposed $9.5 million student fees budget for the 2015-16 school year during its meeting Wednesday.

Student fees are included in the price of tuition. At WSU, student fees pay for a majority of the organizations and services that the university provides beyond professors, classes and a degree.

The money funds organizations, services and students, from large organizations such as Campus Recreation and Student Involvement to smaller, more specialized groups such as Baja SAE and Model UN.

SGA is tasked with creating the budget. The association hears from organizational representatives who give their budgets and request an amount deemed fit.

In small meetings, SGA debates, deliberates and makes recommendations based on these requests.

Those recommendations are placed on the budget, which is presented to the Senate. The budget is read like it was Wednesday, and then it is debated, amended — if needed — and voted on. When the budget passes, it is sent to University President John Bardo for final approval.

SGA was challenged in making this budget because there were 8,000 less credit hours paid to the budget, and a 2 percent salary increase was required for faculty and staff.

“These are two examples of what made this fiscal year so challenging,” Student Body President Matt Conklin said. “We had to be very objective in determining what really is a necessity.”

The first read of the budget passed with few questions. The 2015-16 budget mirrors last year’s budget with only an increase of $37,000.

The budget will be debated and voted on in the next SGA meeting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday on the second floor of the Rhatigan Student Center.