ASU's Undergraduate Student Government Tempe has over $1 million that goes toward appropriations directly benefiting students, which includes funding for club events and operations alongside travel and professional development.
Diego Montijo, speaker of the USG-T Senate and a junior studying business and political science, said the money is gathered from the USG fee that is included in all students' tuition.
"That money goes toward our appropriations, and that goes directly right back into the students' pockets, so all that money is for the students to use," Montijo said.
The appropriations are split into two sections: event and club operations, which receives most of the money, and travel and professional development. The funds are overseen by two subcommittees.
Xochilt Luna, a junior studying business and finance, is the chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Events Funding. Luna said the subcommittee is currently overseeing a budget of $900,000 this year that is allocated to different clubs and organizations on campus.
There are two types of funding for organizations: operational and event funding.
Operational funding for clubs and organizations is capped at $850 per semester and can be used on items like banners or polos for club members, Luna said. There are specific guidelines and a funding form that organizations must follow in order to receive funds.
Event funding is for specific events, such as food, programming, entertainment setup and speaker fees. Completing this form is more complex than the operational funding form because of certain requirements, Luna said.
"One of my goals this semester is to get more organizations or different communities of organizations to request funding," Luna said.
Montijo echoed the importance of clubs utilizing this funding, emphasizing organizations' contributions to student life.
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The appropriations subcommittee for travel and professional development oversees a budget of $125,000 this year. This money goes to travel grants for students, such as those attending conferences, and professional development funding, Montijo said.
Navigna Reddy Gangumalla, a senior studying computer science, chairs the Appropriations Subcommittee on Operations, Professional Development and Travel Funding.
The travel funding for individual students is capped at $1,000, and each conference has a cap of $4,000. If many students want to attend a conference, the funding is given on a first-come, first-served basis, Reddy Gangumalla said.
"If the student applies faster, they'll be receiving the funds," she said. "If we are out of that, then they can't get it."
Students are able to use this funding for travel, lodging expenses and conference tickets. Reddy Gangumalla said her subcommittee usually receives anywhere from 30-50 requests a week.
Students can also request professional development funding that can pay for items like webinar registrations or prep materials.
While the student body president is in charge of the overall yearly budget, senators are able to debate if they think certain areas need more or less funding, Montijo said.
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He said as a senator, it was important for him that the appropriations continued to receive a large amount of funding. This year, the budget has been moved around and improved greatly, he said.
USG-T hosts town hall meetings monthly, where students are able to attend and ask questions, Reddy Gangumalla said. They also have two upcoming appropriations workshops where students can receive support with funding questions.
USG-T also has a form for students to anonymously share their experiences with requesting funding and any improvements they would like to see in the process.
Students are able to apply for this funding online through the USG-T website.
"It's looking like a major improvement, I would say, in the way that we can use our money and really give back to the students," Montijo said. "I think that's going to be awesome to see that reflection."
Andi Ruiz contributed to this story.
Edited by Dhemi Bell, Carsten Oyer and Senna James.
Reach the reporter at isiedare@asu.edu.
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Imogen Siedare is a part-time reporter with The State Press. This is her first semester with The State Press. Imogen is a Junior studying Journalism and Political Science.
