A bill approved in the Student Government Association (SGA) Wednesday night will supply all registered student organization (RSO) safekeeping accounts with $250 per year to help with startup costs. Approved amendments to Article VIII of the Association Funding Regulations allow these funds to be received annually by student organizations, as long as they are in good standing.
This year, these funds will be provided by the SGA reserves fund but will be supplied by student fees in future years. To do this, the bill created a new organizational funding account in SGA.
Jay Thompson, bill co-sponsor and government oversight chairperson, said organizations could use these funds to help them prepare for involvement fairs, tabling and semester kick-off events.
“This is a bill to get a little bit excited about,” Thompson said. “It’s not every day that we get to create a new fund or a new account that is a direct source of funding for RSOs … It also plays into the overall idea of trying to alleviate the stresses on our RSOs after the appropriations process this fall.”
Many student organization members found the student fees deliberations last semester “heartbreaking” after a disparity in available SGA funds and RSO requests saw several funding requests unfulfilled. Organizations requested over $722,000, while SGA had less than $210,000 to give.
Another bill approved Wednesday night, the Improvements to the Appropriations Process Act, will also limit how much a student organization can request in appropriations based on tiers.
The act was passed with 19 votes in favor. The proposed changes will take effect in August with the start of a new academic year.
