More than 30 student leaders gathered in the J. Wayne Reitz Union on Oct. 20 to learn how to apply for student government funding at a seminar led by the University of Florida’s student body treasurer.
Student Body Treasurer Johanna Moncy led the session titled Budget and Bites from noon to 1 p.m., offering guidance on how student organizations could submit budget requests through Docutraq. The workshop happened before two major funding deadlines to make sure student leaders were prepared.
“I serve as an advocate for students and student leaders to know what their resources are. My office and the budget committee are hosting multiple events this week to offer personalized help to student organizations through the funding process,” Moncy said.
Base funding, which offers $1,025 to each eligible organization, remains open through Nov. 3. This type of funding is used for general body meetings or food. Requests for event, travel and operational funds opened at 9 a.m. Oct. 29 and were processed on a first-come, first-served basis.
Both funding opportunities require student organizations to be registered through GatorConnect and Docutraq, Moncy said. Treasurers or presidents also need to complete mandatory officer training.
“A few of the notable requirements are that organizations must have at least 10 members and cannot charge dues,” Moncy said. “If all requirements are met and the organizations fill out the form correctly, they qualify for base funding.”
Student government first allocates funds to base requests, then distributes any remaining money based on the order of submissions, Moncy said.
“Operational, event and travel funding are competitive only in terms of speed,” Moncy said. “We do not judge one organization over another. It’s about who gets their request in first.”
According to Moncy, $909,946.52 was allocated to student organizations during the Spring and Summer A funding cycle for the previous year. This term should be approximately the same.
Lisa Wong, a second-year student and treasurer of the Asian American Student Union, attended the seminar to prepare her first budget request.
“This is my first time submitting one, so I wanted to get the most information I could,” she said.
Wong said her organization plans to use SG funds to cover food, advertising materials and event programming.
“We host general body meetings, but we also do things like crafting, socials and field day activities,” she said. “No matter the format, we always tie in advocacy topics like current events or identity.”
Wong said the most recent meeting included a cultural activity where members created fictional avatars with global identities, she added.
She wanted all student leaders to understand the funding system so they can use it to grow their organizations, Moncy said.
“As a former student org treasurer, I know how hard it can be to navigate,” Moncy said. “That’s why our office offers support through events like this.”
Student organizations can continue to submit base funding applications through Nov. 3, as long as they meet all eligibility criteria.
A bill from the Student Government Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee will be completed by winter break to allocate specific funding to each organization, Moncy Said.
“Student organizations help make this campus feel like home,” Moncy said. “We want to make sure they have the resources to succeed.”
