Congress to review funding requests

As a surge of student organizations requests funding through Student Congress, the body is telling groups they will need to look for other options to cover costs.

While past allocations were based on the strength of funding requests, members of Congress now are digging into the nitty-gritty details to prioritize funding through student fees.

More groups have come to Congress this year seeking money the body keeps in reserve for appropriations during the academic year.

During the last Congress meeting, 17 groups requested a total of $57,000, said Speaker Charlie Anderson.

But Congress only has $28,000 remaining, and Anderson said the Finance Committee will recommend allocating between $15,000 and $16,000 during tonight’s Congress meeting.

The Finance Committee also was sent back to the drawing board last week when it almost overextended its budget for next year’s allocations.

The committee regrouped Sunday and drew a clearer picture, formulating a plan to allocate funds equitably before the Annual Budget Weekend this week.

In order to balance its books, the Finance Committee entered a budget of $0 for the executive branch of student government on Feb. 6. But Anderson said the branch will get most of the $33,050 it proposed.

“We are looking at each individual request,” he said. “While some groups may have a reasonable request, we will need to make cuts.”

Finance Committee Chairwoman Daneen Furr said the committee will recommend minor budget cuts and will not fund fees for conferences — with the exception of funding for groups such as Carolina Mock Trial that revolve around attending such events.

She said campus groups that are reliable and likely to execute their proposed events will have priority in funding.

“Groups that are well-established have more precedent than groups that are brand new,” she said.

Furr also said newly formed student publications will be allocated funds to cover only one edition. If the publication is successfully produced, it can request more funds next fall.

While most groups face cuts, others, such as the Carolina Athletic Association, likely will receive increased allocations, Anderson said.

CAA originally was granted only $521.29 of its proposed allocation of $10,521.29, but Anderson said he expects Congress to boost CAA’s funding.

To balance the budget, Anderson said Congress will underfund itself, allocating only enough money to operate through the summer.

Congress will then rely on subsequent allocations for the remainder of its budget during the academic year.

Despite the problems, Anderson said, the budget situation is good because it indicates that students are learning how to take advantage of their student fees.

“Groups are incredibly well-prepared; they know the process now.”

Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.