Amid student organization budget decreases, some student groups share experiences

After the student organization budget decreased for the 2024-25 academic year, some student organizations have found it difficult to maintain operations. 

Andrew Forbes, treasurer of the Undergraduate Student Government, wrote in a statement to The Daily Tar Heel that this year, the USG is distributing a budget of roughly $1.2 million to registered student organizations.

“This is about $200,000 lower than last year, which means RSOs are receiving less funding now than previously,” Forbes wrote.

He said that budgets fluctuate annually and depend on the funds transferred over from the previous year, but since the pandemic Registered Student Organizations have been spending more money each cycle.

Danica Grant, a representative of UNC’s Asian American Students Association, said the organization has found challenges in holding events with a shrinking budget.

“This has been hard because every year, we try to put on big events, and we want people to come to our club and get to know the community,” they said. “It's hard to buy supplies for events that we're expecting, like, 100 people to show up.” 

Grant said that in order to fund events, AASA requests external funds from other sources, including UNC departments.

Anya Abhayakumar, one of three captains of Bhangra Elite, a UNC Indian folk dance team, said members have had to dip into their personal funds in order to pay for events and supplies. Bhangra Elite, she said, only receives funds from the USG.

“It's definitely limiting when we think about going to competitions. Now, we also have to think about how far away it is and if it's even feasible for us,” she said. 

For Bhangra Elite, Abhayakumar said support from the USG helps provide costumes, travel and competition fees for events across the country. 

Abhayakumar said the club has also noticed difficulties in finding available studio spaces to use on campus or rent.

“We've been trying to find other avenues to get funding, but it's been so hard to do, because, honestly, what they give us is so insufficient for what we need,” Abhayakumar said. 

In contrast to Bhangra Elite and AASA, Rebecca Stern, the treasurer of the Loreleis, a UNC acapella group, has noted a budget increase since 2022.

“Our amazing treasurer at the time went through the effort of going to the Treasurer's Test and giving the presentation,” Stern said.

The Treasurer’s Test is an online assessment that determines if a student organization is qualified to receive funding from the USG. Students must pass with a score of 80 or higher to be eligible. 

Additionally, at least one organization representative must attend a budget orientation meeting and submit a funding application before taking part in a hearing. At the hearing, treasurers are given 3-5 minutes to present their organization’s needs before answering any questions from the senators. 

If these requirements are not met, registered student organizations will not be sponsored. 

Stern said the USG funding, along with help from Carolina alumni, has helped the Loreleis record albums, fund venue rentals and cover labor fees for concerts.

“We just added a lot more flexibility to our budget,” she said.  

According to the USG, student organizations are funded in five cycles held throughout the academic year. In each cycle, the USG determines which clubs to prioritize through three criteria: representation of the student body, specialization of function and vitality to the organization's purpose.

“These criteria are not applied individually or in a vacuum,” Forbes’ statement read. “Each of them is considered simultaneously along with the rest of our rules and procedures to determine funding.”

Forbes wrote that through this criteria, the USG prioritizes funding programs and supplies that organizations need to function.

The budget is expected to flatten around 2030, Forbes stated.

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