Student organizations are now able to submit their funding requests to the Student Government Appropriations Committee.

Mike Alston, appropriations committee chair, said student organizations who are registered with the Student Organization Resource Center are now able to file requests for appropriation funding. He said once an organization submits an application through the Student Government Web site, the group will begin working with its Senator.

“Either you find a senator to sponsor you, or we assign one,” Alston, a junior in civil engineering, said.

Senators are there to advise the student groups and help them edit their requests, according to Alston.

“Senators ensure that requests are filed properly,” Adam Compton, an appropriations committee member, said.

According to Compton, a junior in agricultural business management, the committee will then hold initial interviews over a few days with each organization and write the first draft of the bill listing the proposed amounts for Student Senate to review on Oct. 3.

He said once the Student Senate reviews the first reading, the bill will be sent back to the appropriations committee, so the organizations can see the initial amount. Compton said organizations that wish to appeal may do so before the bill is sent back to Senate for the final vote on Oct. 17.

“They can basically say, ‘We feel like we deserve more money,'” Compton said.

Once Senate passes the second version of the bill, it goes to the Student Body President for final approval, Compton said.

Alston said each organization’s request falls into one of the five specific categories: start-up funding, funding for on-campus events, athletic club funding, trip/travel funding and miscellaneous funding.

These five types determine the range of funds the organization will be allocated, he said.

“[Of all the types], on-campus and start-up funding [will be] getting priority,” Alston said.

Organizations that fall into the start-up category automatically receive $300, while the maximum amount any other group can receive is $4,500, David Foxx, student body treasurer, said.

Foxx, a junior in political science, said the funding for appropriations comes out of a specific line item in the Student Government’s budget.

This year’s total appropriations funds are $45,000, while last spring’s total was approximately $38,000, according to Alston.

Foxx said there are always more appropriation requests in the fall because the fall session lasts until spring break.

Alston said one of Student Government’s goals this year, regarding appropriations, is to ensure the funds are going to benefit as much of the student body as possible.

“It’s the students’ money, so we are trying to benefit the most students,” he said.

Foxx echoed Alston’s statement.

“It’s actually Student Government investing in the University,” Foxx said.

He said whether it’s a Greek organization requesting money for a philanthropy project or a multicultural group asking for funds for an on-campus event, appropriations enables Student Government to help “foster campus creativity.”

Foxx said the business office will distribute checks as soon as possible once the appropriations process ends Oct. 19.

Since there are a lot of returning members to Student Government, Foxx said there will be better delibration this year.

“We want to make sure they are set up for success,” he said. “So if any student group wants to come by, my office is willing to go over [anything] with them.”