New student fees budget proposal includes 1.62% decrease, leaves EOF funds alone

Lindsay Smith, Editor in Chief|July 12, 2021

Screenshot+of+the+Student+Fees+Working+Group+meeting+on+Wednesday.

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Screenshot of the Student Fees Working Group meeting on Wednesday.

The Student Government Association will be re-balancing the student fees budget due to a decision by the Kansas Board of Regents in June.

SGA met on Wednesday to re-work the budget. The student senate will look at the new proposal on July 14, according to an SGA release.

The proposal decreases all student support services line items by 1.62% and leaves the educational opportunity funds alone. The fees group also voted to take out $220,000 of HEERF money to keep the decrease small.

The estimated revenue decrease due to the KBOR decision was roughly $342,000. While using the HEERF money, the current budget decrease is $122,889.

“I want students to know that they will be seeing changes in many, if not all, student services per consequence of the cut to our student fees budget,” Student Body President Rija Khan said in a statement sent to The Sunflower.

“However, we know now that we need to work harder on creating a more sustainable budget and may even need to return to the previous amount asked for in the future.”

The Board voted down all proposed student fees increases during their June 16 meeting. The student fees budget passed by the senate last semester had a 1% student fees increase.

“Unfortunately, the decision made by the Kansas Board of Regents places a set back on us as we find ourselves in a difficult situation to continue funding student services,” Khan said. “The biggest goal of my Administration has, and always will be to continue funding services deemed essential to the student body, while ensuring that we keep the following year’s funding cycle in mind.”