SGA voted on the budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year, allocating $658,229.58 to operating expenses, including club funding.
The money comes from the Student Activity Fee, a student fee that helps fund SGA, other student organizations and student activities. The SAF was increased following the 2024 student election, and the anticipated amount of funds available has nearly doubled from the $357,171 SGA received this past school year.
The fee was nearly doubled for all semesters, increasing from $16.06 per semester ($8.03 in the summer) to $30.40 per semester ($15.20 in the summer). The new amount will help sustain SGA’s funding pool, which almost completely ran out this semester.
From the funds, $54,349.23 went to cover the general and administrative recharge, a 9% tax that charges auxiliary and self-funded operations to cover general administrative costs.
Every spring, the Budget Advisory Committee creates a budget based on the anticipated amount of funds that will be available for the following fiscal year.
Departments, such as Student Life, request funds from BAC, who then decide how much to allocate to them. BAC may decide to allocate more or less funds than requested. Once the committee drafts the budget, it is then proposed to SGA for it to be approved or changed.
Club Funding
This year, SGA allocated $150,000 to clubs and organizations. This has nearly doubled from the $83,474.12 provided to clubs for this past fiscal year. Clubs can access up to $4,000 in club funding from BAC each fiscal year. Clubs are also able to request up to $100 in funding from Student Life via Club Cash, which has received $2,500 in next year’s budget.
Roar Days has been allocated $20,000 from the budget this year, rather than the funding coming from a bill as it has in the past. BAC will allocate money from this fund to clubs participating in Roar Days.
SGA Events
Events and bills were allocated $30,000 this year, rather than drawing the funds from the Carryforward Fund, reserve money that is comprised of leftover funds from previous years.
Disregarding the GAR tax and money allocated to events that have their own designated budget line, such as Roar Days, SGA spent a total of $36,180.76 on events and bills this past fiscal year. This was a total of $26,715.27 in the fall and $9,465.39 in the spring.
A new budget line provided the student concert held at the beginning of each school year with $70,000 to help with expenses, a large increase from years prior.
Student Life
Student Life was allocated $182,495 to help with operating expenses, an increase from the $105,000 provided to them this past fiscal year.
Clyde’s Cupboard, which operates as a basic food pantry for UCCS students, was allocated $48,620, an increase from the $42,000 provided last year.
UCCS Galleries of Contemporary Art was allocated $12,500, an increase from the $10,000 provided to them last year.
SGA Operations
SGA Recognition, which pays SGA members a stipend for their service at the end of each semester, was allocated $35,488 — the same amount as last year.
A new budget line for this upcoming fiscal year allocates an additional stipend of $5,000 to senators who join BAC. Director of Finance Amanda Ford said the funds will be distributed via a bill, meaning the exact amount given to each member on BAC will depend on the language of the bill when it is created.
SGA administration has received $2,000, double what they received last year. This goes toward printing and operation costs for SGA.
The SGA Executive Branch received $1,000 and the SGA Judicial Branch received $7,000, which is the same amount they received this past fiscal year.
Equal to last year. $700 was allocated to SGA graduation stoles.
The Public Relations Committee, which handles PR materials such as shirts and sweatshirts for SGA members, received $2,000, a slight increase from last year.
The Summer Committee received $2,000, the same amount they did last year. The committee develops plans for the next academic year over the summer.
The SGA Office, Marketing and Resource Manager, a student-employee position paid for by SGA, was allocated $20,077.35. The position helps manage clerical and financial work for the organization.
Another $8,000 was allocated to professional development, which will allow some SGA members to travel to leadership conferences.
SGA added a line item that sets aside $4,500 to help with bad debt expenses. Bad debt occurs when the actual student tuition and fees paid are less than the estimated amount by the university when establishing the budget.
This year, SGA was charged $36,622.72 for bad debt.
Photo via Scribe Archives.