The Student Government (SG) Senate approved the 2024-25 Student Activities & Services (A&S) budget for all three campuses this Tuesday, seeing an overall increase in allocated money to student organizations. 

The vote was 26-0, approving the budget.

Related: 2023-24 A&S budget down $5 million from last fiscal year

Students pay fees in their tuition – a $12.18 fee per credit hour and a flat $7 fee – that goes to the A&S budget. The charges are determined by the state’s Board of Governors.

Those collected student fees all contribute to the A&S budget, distributed among student services, organizations and activities.

The Sarasota-Manatee campus will see the biggest decrease in allocated funding. The 2024-25 fiscal year allocated fund was around $2.1 million dollars, half of last year’s $4.2 million.   

However, student programs and services in the Sarasota-Manatee campus saw an increase of over $400,000 in the 2024-25 fiscal year. 

The allocated total for the St. Pete campus was $3.7 million, relatively close to last year’s $3.6 million. 

With around the same budget as last year, the Tampa campus’ budget is going to be a little over $18 million for the 2024-25 fiscal year. 

Directly-funded student organizations in the Tampa campus saw a general increase on budget compared to last year’s $403,528 budget. In the 2024-25 fiscal year, student organizations will receive $518,482 in funds.

The Homecoming Grant, previously set for student organizations, had a total of almost $16,000 allocated for 2023-24 fiscal year. The grant received zero funding. 

St. Pete student organizations will receive more than double the funding, setting at $70,651, compared to last year’s $30,749.

The Sarasota-Manatee student organizations will receive $75,854 this fiscal year. In 2023-24 the campus had $83,759 allocated for organizations.

Changes in budget allocation for student organizations across campus can impact their meetings, events and pay for e-board members. Although organizations are allowed to raise funds, most of them depend on the A&S budget. 

Some previously-funded organizations and clubs have received no funding allocation this year – even those who requested funds through an SG paperwork submission – around all three campuses. 

Senate President Fariah Ansari said zero funding can happen either because areas in the submission form were left blank or due to late submissions from student organization’s leaders.

Both St. Pete and Tampa’s SG will remain with around the same budget, $129,268 and $2.5 million, respectively. However, Sarasota-Manatee campus SG will see an increase of around $50,000, totaling at $318,513. 

The A&S budget document needs to be signed by Ansari, SG President Cesar Esmeraldi and USF President Rhea Law in order for the funds to be allocated.