More student groups than usual want funds for next year.
Budget requests for the clubs and organizations that want funding from the Associated Students of the University of Utah were due Friday. This year students submitted 109 budget requests?29 more than last year.
George Lindsey, ASUU accountant, attributes the increase in requests to publicity that ASUU has more money this year.
Each of the 200 or so student groups also received a letter, informing them of deadlines, the budget process and when workshops would be held where students could learn how to complete budget requests.
“Both [workshops] we had this year were very well attended,” Lindsey said. “We had over 20 people at the events.”
During the workshops the students reviewed the budget process and what the requests would go through before the groups could receive funding.
Last year ASUU budgeted $134,555 for student groups, which was 13 percent of its $1 million budget. The total amount groups requested this year is $236,850, about 23 percent of a $1 million budget.
This year ASUU plans to make the budget based on $1.2 million. That number is based on projected enrollment for next year. Wilson anticipates the increased budget will add money to all areas of ASUU.
“[ASUU] should be in a better position to be able to do more projects on campus,” Wilson said. “In the past they haven’t been able to fund certain things in that aspect.”
Despite the increased requests from student groups, Lindsey hopes the percentage students get will remain about the same. Budget requests also need to be cut based on how well groups adhere to funding request guidelines.
Each group cannot receive more than $3,500, according to the financial policies and procedures listed in Redbook. Redbook also includes a series of guidelines insisting that ASUU funds go to certain areas. Clubs that do not request funds in accordance with Redbook will not receive as much money as they want.
“We will try to fund everybody as best we can within the guidelines,” Lindsey said. “If we have to make cuts, we will try to make cuts across the board.”
The Finance Board will meet early this week to review the requests. After that they will be added to the annual budget which must pass through the General Assembly and Student Senate and be reviewed by the Board of Trustees before the groups can get the requested money.
“It’s not a guarantee they’ll get the money,” said Ryan Wilson, Finance Board director. The amount of money student groups get depends on how many requests ASUU receives and the entire budget process.
“We’re very optimistic this year for all student groups that they will all be able to receive their funding,” Wilson said. “We like to help them out as much as possible.”
The increased budgeted amount, from $1 million to $1.2 million, automatically increases the amount of money certain groups get. The Presenter’s Office and the Student Broadcast Council receive a set percentage of ASUU funds?39 and 2 percent respectively.