Wichita State’s Student Senate passed its initial allocation of student fees for fiscal year 2026 in a Wednesday night meeting that went into the early morning hours of Thursday morning. The Senate added $9,000 for The Tilford Commission, which the Student Government Association’s Student Fee Commission previously recommended funding at $0. 

This was the only change made to the recommended budget.

The Student Fee Commission’s reasoning for recommending $0 to go to The Tilford Commission was what multiple commissioners called a “confusing” budget presentation. However, The Tilford Commission’s director of operations, Tia Owens, spoke at the Senate meeting. She asked the Senate to consider funding the commission, saying that she was unprepared for the initial presentation due to the short timeline to prepare. Some departments were given just over a day to prepare a presentation on their budgets.

“I didn’t fully understand the scope or the depth that was expected of me at that time and, for that, I want to apologize,” Owens said. 

At its next meeting on April 2, the Senate will vote to formally move money initially allocated to its Special Project and Capital Fund to the Tilford Commission. 

On April 9, the Senate will vote to either pass or fail the entire student fees budget.

A recording of the March 26-27 meeting is available via SGA’s YouTube Channel.