How to Navigate the Funding Process

Step 1: Read SGA’s funding guidelines (this details what SGA can and cannot fund) and make sure your organization’s request is compliant
Step 2: Read SGA’s funding priorities and determine which priority your organization’s event/request aligns with (this details how the SGA Finance Board makes decisions between different events with its limited resources)
Step 3: Complete the funding application
Step 4: Receive your organization’s funding decision from the SGA Finance Board within 1 week
Step 5: Initiate the appeal process if you are unhappy with your organization’s funding decision
*Finance Board reserves the right to ask an organization to do a presentation if there is more information needed for a decision to be made*

Student Organization Funding Guidelines

Please carefully review the SGA guidelines and stipulations for funding before submitting your application. Organizations will be held to the guidelines and standards in place as of the date of their review.

Note: All evaluations, decisions, and interpretations of the guidelines are at the discretion of the Finance Board. All requests will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and some funding exceptions may be made if the board decides it is in the best interest of the student body.

Qualifications for Funding

• Only student organizations recognized and in good standing with the Office of Student Organizations will be considered for funding. University-wide events and departments not recognized as student organizations are not eligible.
• Only current TCU students, faculty, and staff are eligible to receive reimbursements. TCU cannot reimburse student organization bank accounts or unaffiliated individuals. This includes parents, off-campus advisors, etc.–even if they made purchases on behalf of the organization.
• Graduate students do not contribute to the undergraduate Student Body Fee. Therefore, SGA does not fund graduate student organizations. If an undergraduate organization has graduate student members, SGA reserves the right to take a percentage deduction from the awarded amount to account for any graduate students.
• Organizations must request funding at least two weeks prior to their event date, otherwise, no funding will be issued
• Organizations with outstanding financial responsibilities to TCU (such as fines levied by TCU offices) are not eligible for funding.
• Organizations with outstanding awards from SGA Finance Board will not be eligible for funding
• Organizations’ history of campus involvement, fiscal health, alternative sources of revenue, and prior funding allocations may be taken into consideration during the Finance Board’s deliberations.
• Organizations and members found to have misused funding may be subject to penalties as determined by the Finance Board and Student Affairs.

Rules for Funding (Fall 23 Changes in Bold)

The Finance Board will not fund the following:

• Individual collectibles (such as shirts, plaques, goodie bags, etc.) that are deemed “non-supportive” of the organization’s mission statement or marketing efforts
  • The Finance Board will fund marketing materials that support outreach to new members or increase visibility on campus
• Prizes (unless they are charitable)
• Travel and lodging expenses
• Registration or conference fees
  • Exceptions will be considered for team contest entry fees
• Food as a primary form of entertainment*
• Internal social or formal events*
• Direct monetary contributions to charities or other non–profit organizations
• Gifts for guest speakers, members, advisors, etc.
• Scholarships
• Alcohol (even if over the age of 21), drugs, or anything banned in the Student Handbook. This policy applies to TCU students, as well as guest speakers, advisors, alumni, or anyone connected to the organization or using SGA funds.
• IT equipment, Adobe Creative Suite/Cloud software products, and/or software purchases that are not approved by TCU IT and/or the SGA advisor
• Food for general organization meetings (defined as recurring meetings at which traditional organization business is conducted)
• Fines/penalties levied against the organization or its members.

Funding Process

• Prior to completing the Funding Application organizations should:
  • Read the most recent version of the Finance Board Funding Guidelines
  • Make sure the organization and events are in compliance with the Office of Student Organizations. Questions regarding TCU policy should be directed to sgapurchasing@tcu.edu
  • Complete the Event Submission Form on Engage
• Complete the Funding Application (presentation no longer required).
• Funding decisions are made as applications are received. Funding decisions are typically made on the first Monday after the application was received. In the event of high application volume, decisions may be delayed.
• After your decision, you will receive an email from a Finance Board member outlining the funds, if any, allocated to your organization. Unless complications occur, you will receive the email within a week of your application date.
• To claim your funds:
  • Organizations are encouraged to utilize TCU-approved vendors to make all of their purchases. A vendor list will be provided upon request.
  • In some instances, SGA is able to make purchases directly from vendors for your organization. This prevents reimbursements and helps expedite funding. If your organization qualifies for this method, it will be noted in your allocation email.
  • TCU requires reimbursements to be conducted through direct deposit. Information about how to sign-up for direct deposit can be found in your allocation email and on the Funding page of the SGA website. Please note that direct deposit for reimbursements is different that direct deposit for on-campus paychecks.
  • Follow all rules and regulations outlined in the “Claim Your Funds Document” that will be attached to your allocation email.
  • Purchases of $500 or more require the completion of a form in advance of the transaction. Email sgapurchasing@tcu.edu, to complete the form prior to making the purchase.
  • If making a large purchase from a local vendor, contact sgapurchasing@tcu.edu, in advance to inquire about direct billing. This inquiry must take place at least 2 to 3 weeks in advance of the purchase. Failure to complete this process may result in forfeiture of your funding.

Deadline to Claim Funds

• Organizations have 30 days after receiving their allocation to claim their funds. All funds must be claimed prior to finals week.
• All funds not claimed within 30 days of the event’s occurrence will be revoked and made available for distribution to other organizations. Unused funds may not be rolled over to the following semester.

Additional Questions?

Student Body Treasurer: Kellen Meagher – Kellen.meagher@tcu.edu

Reimbursements & Purchasing Help: sgapurchasing@tcu.edu

Student Organization Funding Priorities

1. On-campus student organization events that are accessible, available, and appealing to all students
2. On-campus student organization activities that enrich the student experience for all student organization members and is
   an activity actively furthering the student organization’s mission
3. Off-campus student organization activities that enrich the student experience for all student organization members and is actively furthering the student organization’s mission
4. Off-campus student organization activities that enrich the student experience for a subset of the organization’s members and is actively furthering the student organization’s mission
5. Student organization activities that are not actively furthering the student organization’s mission

Click the link below to access the joint application for student organization funding (allows you to request from SGA or theCrew)

Fall 2023 Funding Application

Equipment currently available to rent (at no cost) from TCU Student Affairs:

• 10ft x 10ft tent(s)
• 6ft table(s)
• Portable speaker with microphone
• Rolling whiteboard sign
• 8.5in x 11in acrylic sign holders
• Poster supplies

Click the link below to access the Equipment Rental Request website:

Equipment Rental Request

In 2020, TCU transitioned to a mandatory direct deposit campus. This includes reimbursements. Below are instructions for setting up direct deposit for your reimbursement.

Students with on-campus jobs, who are currently receiving paychecks through direct deposit, still need to sign up using these instructions in order to receive their reimbursements.

Instructions:
Student WITH On-Campus Jobs
1. Log in to my.tcu.edu
2. Click the Student Account Tile (not the Payroll Tile)
3. Click Enroll in Direct Deposit (on the left)
4. Re-Enter bank account information
5. Slide bar should be marked as “Yes”
6. Click Submit

Student WITHOUT On-Campus Jobs
1. Log in to my.tcu.edu
2. Click the Student Account Tile
3. Click Enroll in Direct Deposit (on the left)
4. Re-Enter bank account information
5. Slide bar should be marked as “Yes”
6. Click Submit

• Bank Code=Routing Number
• Be careful to use your bank account number, not debit card number
• You should only see numbers (no letters or special characters) after you save

• Student org funding is 15% of the total SGA budget. This means of the $90 each undergraduate student pays in a year, organizations should (at most) expect to get $13.50 per undergraduate student back through the student organization funding process.
• For any funding request, the Finance Board can require an in-person presentation for more information.
• The Finance Board reserves the right to partner a funded organization with a Student Activities staff member for assistance with their event as a contingency of their funding award.
  • i.e. This could include a promise to fund the event without a specified dollar amount (dollar amount would be determined after meeting with Student Activities)
•  Submitting an application to the Finance Board is not a promise by Student Government to fund the student organization. The Finance Board decides what to fund based on the Board’s purpose statement followed by the the funding priorities.