Associated Student Government gave thousands of dollars more than usual in Spring Quarter funding to B-and T-status groups at its meeting Wednesday due to a delay in sending out funding applications.

The total amount of money allotted was $16,365.02, surpassing the previous averages by several thousand dollars, said ASG president Ani Ajith, a Weinberg senior.

“We were certainly a little more generous with the funding than what has happened in the years past,” Ajith told The Daily after the meeting. “There were a lot of requests for increases, more groups applying for more money.”

Ajith said the number was greater this quarter due to a glitch in the system when applications were first sent out. Several a cappella groups did not receive their funding applications in time to turn them in by the original deadline due to an internal miscommunication within the Student Groups Committee. This affected about six groups, Ajith said.

In an effort to give funds objectively and because the committee had already allotted funding to groups that had given in their applications on time, members of the committee gave additional funding instead of reexamining the already recommended amounts, Ajith said. He said the initial amount was closer to the $11,000 to $12,000 normally allotted for Spring Quarter.

“That second wave of applications, we couldn’t go back and look at all of them again instead we just said ‘OK, based on the same ways we accredited these folks, we’ll apply to the second wave,’” Ajith told The Daily.

Members of the Student Groups Committee said each organization was given its funding according to a specific set of guidelines and the amount of funds recommended was standardized. The committee took into account both the amount of money each group applied for and the previously created guidelines to fully determine a group’s allocated funds.

During Wednesday’s Senate meeting, a representative from the Jewish Theatre Ensemble also requested funding after the group was originally told it could not apply for money this quarter due to several miscommunications with ASG. Although there was debate regarding the group’s funding allocation, which was originally half of what they requested for many items, Senate decided to give the group additional funds.

Senate also elected students to serve on the selection committees who will choose the next chief of staff, financial vice president, vice president for student groups and vice president for student activities — a new position created this quarter. 

For Members Only requested money from the Senate Project Pool for its spring concert in an effort to expand the event and make it more inclusive. AIESEC and Deering Days also requested Project Pool money for their Global Village event, which will take place next quarter. The requests will be voted on at Wednesday’s Senate, the final meeting of the quarter.

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