After changes to the Student Activities Assistance Fund application process, Northwestern athletic clubs are looking toward other sources of funding to fill the gaps.
Created in 2012, SAAF is a stipend that covers students’ participation expenses for hundreds of organizations, from Greek life to sport clubs. The maximum grant per student is $750 per year.
Starting this year, the Student Organizations and Activities office is implementing application cycles for the SAAF. The next application window for the fall quarter opens this Friday, with an additional fall window, at least two in winter and one in spring, according to SOA Associate Director Joe Lattal.
Lattal said SOA made these changes after receiving over 900 SAAF applications last academic year, 800 of which were reimbursed.
“Last year, for the first time ever, the volume was such that not only were we running low on our promised balance in the spring, but we were also running out of personnel who could review and respond to communications on it,” Lattal said.
The new SAAF application cycles align with periods when SOA expects a high number of applications, like after the club fair or Greek life recruitment, allowing SOA to plan its budget more precisely, Lattal said.
“We think this will maximize the reimbursements that students can access,” Lattal said. “We also think this will speed up our response times and promote more positive attitudes around SAAF.”
As of Oct. 9, SOA has received 186 SAAF applications, the highest number of applications they’ve ever received by this time, according to Lattal.
The applications cited a diverse set of organizations and activities, Lattal said, including athletic clubs, Greek life, pre-professional organizations and faith-based clubs.
Athletic clubs are looking for other funding avenues in addition to SAAF to lower team dues and make activities more affordable.
NU Club Tennis Treasurer Sofia Maidman said the team received a United States Tennis Association grant, which will help lessen club dues next year. Dues vary between $100 and $150 and go toward tournament fees, tennis balls and team bonding, Maidman said.
“One thing we always emphasize is that if dues are going to inhibit you from joining the club, let us know and we’ll reduce the dues,” Maidman said.
NU Crew Treasurer Jack Tully said several members used SAAF last year. Varsity team dues for Crew are $2,090, one of the highest amounts on campus, with the money covering fuel for transportation and tournament fees.
A full SAAF grant of $750 does not cover the dues. Tully said the team subsidizes the remaining money through in-team scholarships. Last year, eight members received in-team scholarships, he said.
Tully said NU Crew will also apply for an Associated Student Government grant for the first time next year. He expects it will help lower team dues, which have risen 3% from last year due to rising tournament registration and fuel costs.
“If we receive funding from ASG, that could substantially reduce dues and make it more affordable for a good chunk of the team,” Tully said.
Each year, ASG’s Student Activities Finance Committee allocates nearly $1.8 million to over 100 student organizations, according to Medill sophomore John Sisco, a former Daily staffer, who serves as Finance Deputy Chair of Management and Development in ASG. The money is raised through the quarterly Student Activities Fee included in tuition bills.
Tully said he wishes the University communicated more about the different funding avenues available to student organizations, including the SAFC fund. NU Crew did not learn of its eligibility for the grant until past the application deadline, he said.
Lattal said SOA sends out a weekly newsletter to student organization presidents and treasurers. Tully said he suggested the University put together a permanent dossier that student organizations can use to find a compilation of funding opportunities.
Sisco said one of ASG’s priorities this year is building financial literacy and education amongst student organizations. He also said SAFC plans to facilitate regular communication with student organization leadership and create educational materials for grant applications.
Sisco said he is optimistic these outreach efforts will lead to more student organization funding and participation. He said this is a paramount goal for ASG since students’ time at NU is shaped by academic and extracurricular experiences.
“The cost of attending university can already be prohibitively high,” Sisco said. “Once you’re here, we want to make sure that we’ve taken every measure possible so that you can enjoy the opportunities presented to you to the fullest.”
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