University students pay a $5.69 fee to the Michigan Student Assembly each semester, but students at other Big Ten universities have different systems of funding student groups and activities.
Unlike many other Big Ten schools, MSA does not receive funding directly from University allocations.
"We're a lot more autonomous than other student governments," MSA President Trent Thompson said.
MSA fees are allocated to about 200 student groups.
The assembly's ability to distribute funds provides student groups relatively easy access to funding.
"I would think the administration would like to see a tighter grasp on who gets funding," Thompson said. "There's a lot of smaller student groups who probably wouldn't get funding on other campuses."
The differences in budgeting between schools, Thompson said, are often a reflection of the programs student governments support.
"They do the a lot of the programming for their schools," Thompson said.
Michigan State University students pay several student fees each semester, including $10 to the student government, which supplies students with legal services, inexpensive copying services, meeting and conference space and interest-free, one-month loans of $100.
The Associated Students of Michigan State University also provides funding of $46,000 per semester to registered student organizations, who are eligible for allocations of $3,000 per semester.
In addition, ASMSU has 18 activity departments that provide $80,000 per semester in funding.
Nate Smith-Tyge, ASMSU assembly chair, said students are given the option of paying for the services.
"Student fees are refundable within two weeks of the start of the semester, but then students are not able to use ASMSU benefits," Smith-Tyge said.
The student fees have to be re-approved by students in an ASMSU election every two years, Smith-Tyge said, but the ASMSU fee has not fluctuated at all during the past several years.
Several Big Ten universities have low or no student government fees, but students usually pay a student activities fee, which is often steep.
Students at Pennsylvania State University pay a $36-per-semester student activities fee as part of their tuition. The money is distributed in various ways - but not to the Penn State student government.
"Our student government is completely self-funding," said Brian Olivo, undergraduate student government vice-president for Penn State. "We raise funds through internal fundraising."
The two main fund raisers, Olivo said, include student government-sponsored bus trips to major cities during Thanksgiving, winter and spring breaks and a student activities calendar.
Through these activities, the student government raises about $20,000 a year, Olivo said.
The student government does some minor funding of student organizations, Olivo said, but before requesting funds from the Penn State student government, groups must show they have applied to at least two other university organizations for money.
"Groups can request funding from (the student activities board) but they don't always get the full amount," Olivo said.
During the past year, the Penn State administration raised the student activities fee $11, despite student lobbying against the increase, Olivo said.
The Penn State administration "felt they couldn't support student organizations' financial needs from year to year without raising the fee," Olivo said. "Much of the fee goes to the renovation of our student Union."
The Ohio State University student government has combined the use of university allocations with an optional student fee.
"On our quarterly fee statement, students have the option to donate $1 to the student government," said Josh Mandel, the OSU undergraduate student government president.
The remainder of OSU student government funding comes from the OSU Council of Student Affairs, which is made up of faculty, staff and students who are appointed by OSU student government, Mandel said.
"A lot of student governments allocate resources; that takes a lot of energy and manpower," Mandel said. "As a student government, we don't actually do that."
Mandel said that because student organization funding is done through the Council of Student Affairs, the student government is able to complete projects such as faculty evaluation booklets and a landlord evaluation project.
"We surveyed 1500 students living in the university area about their landlords and published the results for students," Mandel said.
Mandel said the OSU student government budget, although not final, will be around $40,000 this year, placing them near the bottom of Big 10 schools in funding.
Other universities keep student fees close to nothing by using alternative methods of funding, including raising money through ring sales and agreements with credit card companies.
Dave Orensten, president of the Indiana University Students Association, said the three-part student fee totaling $2.93 per semester funds a variety of student benefits including a baby-sitting service, shuttle trips to the airport, an on-line textbook exchange and test file Website and also general office expenses.
"Our student government feels bad spending students money," Orensten said.
IU students also pay a $2 fee to the student organization fund which is used to fund all major events that take place on the IU campus.
The student fee is kept low, Orensten said, in part due to a deal IUSA has with a major credit card company that pays a kickback to the group for each student who applies for the credit card.
Purdue University also uses alternative funding methods that include profits from class ring sales in a joint venture with the Purdue University Alumni Association and corporate sponsors for student organizations.
"Student organizations can come to our group and ask for money," said David Varca, Purdue Student Government president.
Varca said the PSG helps student organizations find corporate funding, but many groups also join in with PSG activities.
"We do a lot of academic-orientated things, including academic desserts recognizing people," Varca said.
The PSG also organizes the Purdue homecoming pep rally, concerts and other philanthropies throughout the year.
09-29-98
| Previous Article | Next Article |
should be sent to: daily.letters@umich.edu | should be sent to: online.daily@umich.edu |