What is the Individual Scholarship Request?

The following is taken from 85-042:  A Bill Allowing the Student Government to Financially Support Individuals, passed on April 20, 2018 by the 85th SGA.

Currently, the Student Government Fee (SGF) only serves students who are directly involved in Registered Student Organizations (RSO). Should a student not have enough time or interest to participate in such activities, they are not receiving any benefit from their SGF. The current system for the SGF does not allow individuals to request money. Recognizing students should have a right to all fees paid, this bill proposes a more versatile SGF.

The Individual request scholarship will function under the following guidelines:

1. $1,000 be allocated in the following year’s budget for requests
2. A student will be able to request grants up to a cumulative total value of 83% of the yearly Student Government Fee for a full time student of that year
3. Students are only eligible if they are in good academic standing
4. Students must use the grant for directly educational purposes such as testing, research (including Senior Seminar expenses), Conference Travel or Registration, etc.
   1. Requests outside of this realm will still be reviewed but are less likely to be approved by the Senate
   2. Information provided to the Senate regarding request need will be private and protected
   3. The identity of the person requesting funding will be kept private from the student body (censored on official documents)
   4. Receipts and unused money must be returned to the Senate after funding is used
   5. Funding use will follow the RSO funding use policies (if money is used inappropriately, it will be charged to the student’s account)
5. Any money not used by the student shall be given back to the SGA
6. Students can only apply if there is no current request-relevant RSO to support them, or the current RSO is unable to fully fund their request

ISR will be granted after the following steps have been taken:*

1. Requesting student fills out the ISR request form and turns it in to the SGA Advisor and Finance Committee
   1. ISR Request Form
2. Finance Committee reviews each request before the next Senate Meeting.
3. The request comes before the Student Senate at the next Senate Meeting (or the next Senate Meeting which the student can attend), and the Finance Committee makes a Yes or No recommendation regarding the request.
4. The requesting student is required to attend the Senate Meeting at which their request will be voted on.
   1. If the student is unable to attend the Senate Meeting at which their request will be voted on, their request form will be reviewed and voted on in their absence. Further explanation of the request may be submitted by the student if they deem it necessary.
5. Upon reviewing the Finance Committee’s recommendation and the student’s request, the Senate will discuss and vote on the request in an Executive Session.

*Should any one of these steps not be completed, the requesting student’s request will be denied