Wichita State’s Student Government Association passed its funding allocations for student groups Wednesday night. 

SGA has $300,000 to spend in this deliberation process. Recommendations are made by the SGA finance commission to create suggestions for funding, then organizations can present if they want more than their suggested funds.  

The finance commission received requests totalling $700,000, requiring a pair down to fit the $300,000 budget. 

Representatives from many student organizations — some from organizations that didn’t present, and some that wanted more than their suggested funds — crowded into the meeting room to argue for more funding, but the Student Senate approved the funding recommended by the Finance Commission. 

Although SGA had $25,000 more than last year, it also had more groups to allocate its funds to. Following the build-up of leftover funds post-COVID, Wichita State Campus Recreation gained the authority to fund club sports. This year, however, the additional money ran out, and that power was handed back to SGA. 

“Sports clubs — I was notified probably a week before (the application deadline) that they would be in this process as well,” Student Body Treasurer Luke Bumm said. 

After a raise in budget during last year’s appropriation budget, this year had another raise, making the total budget an even $300,000. 

According to Wichita State’s website, there are 14 sports clubs available for students. They are separate from NCAA-recognized collegiate sports, which are funded through the athletic department.

The men’s soccer club was one of many groups to show up to the meeting on Wednesday. Dillon Busby, the club’s president, said that the suggested allocation for his club – $2,824 – was a “massive disappointment,” compared to the requested $8,000 

“I sifted through 4 hours of the (appropriations hearing livestream) to see my club — which I spend 10 hours plus on every week — only discussed for about 30 seconds,” Busby said. 

Bumm said during the presentation of the bill that some line-items that the finance commission removed in its considerations were referees, jerseys and travel costs. 

SGA adviser Gabe Fonseca said that SGA cannot tell organizations how to spend their money, other than a few exceptions in the SGA bylaws. While the finance commission based its recommendations on the budgets presented by the organizations, which include specifications on what the money will go to, the organizations can ultimately disperse that money however they choose. 

The Sunflower requested the full appropriations allocations, but has not yet received them as of Thursday afternoon. 

Organizations may still be able to get additional funding. SGA also offers organizational funding, a way for student organizations to request funding through a separate process. 

“I have been urging almost every organization that either missed out on appropriations — I know you saw some that presented at public forum last night that weren’t able to present during appropriations for different reasons,” Bumm said. “So, for those organizations, they are allowed to apply for this type of funding.” 

This kind of funding is typically for one event because  a rule requires the organization to spend the full amount in 10 days or refund SGA with the leftover dollars. 

More information about ways to get funding through SGA, including how to apply for organizational funding, can be found here. 

The full Aug. 28 meeting can be watched on SGA’s YouTube.