Funding for Student Organization Activities

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Office of Student Life (OSL) offers funding and logistical support for student led, co-curricular activities. Funds are available through the Services & Activities Fee, managed by OSL. 

Co-curricular activities are an important part of a college experience. They are opportunities for students to engage in professional development and build community. OSL's objective in providing these funding options for students is to: 

  • Reduce barriers for requesting event and activity funds
  • Encourage students' focus on professional development and community building activities
  • Provide equitable access to an increasingly limited fund, due to budget constraints

Available Funds

This academic year's request includes $7,000 total for all clubs from July 1 until April 15. Each officially chartered student organization may apply for funding to support an event, meeting, travel, registration for conferences, or other activities that support their group. Funding is no longer available to non-officially chartered clubs.

To apply for funding, please follow these steps.

Step One

Complete an online event request form. Please be prepared to provide significant details about your activity. If you are not able to complete the form, please make an appointment (online or in-person) with our Student Organization Coordinator to successfully complete the form. Please email the Office of Student Life to make an appointment. After the form is received, a decision will be made about how much funding is available; based on the form. That decision will help you better plan the activity. Funding decisions go through the Student Organization Council.

Step Two

If you successfully completed the form, you will meet (online or in person) with our Student Organization Coordinator for a brief planning meeting.

 

Understanding Funding

Student organization funding is provided through the Services and Activities fees, paid for by enrolled students through tuition. Student orgs may apply for funding to sponsor or create activities for their members. These activities might include hosting a speaker, celebrating the end of the quarter, creating an activity for the student body, or traveling for service learning, volunteering, or professional development. 

OSL manages funds for all student organization groups. Student organizations may not open a bank account.

Yes. LWTech has a process for student organizations to raise funds. Fundraising is done to make extra money for a student org's activity. However, any fundraising by the student org must have a purpose. A student org must designate raised money for a specific purpose, and spend it on that purpose. Office of Student Life will assist all student orgs with fundraising, after they complete an activity registration form.

The short answer is no. Student organizations may not host a fundraiser to give away money to individuals or organizations. This is against state policy.

Any funds raised by the student org is held in a LWTech account. Therefore, the funding becomes state authorized funds. Any state rules related to spending or fundraising student org money are applied to these dollars.

When a student org is approved for spending funds, after approval through the application process, the student org will work with OSL to complete all purchasing requirements. 

Yes. A student org may purchase supplies or materials to give away to its members or the general student body. However, in order to give away a supply or material, a participant must do something in order to get the supply or material. For example, if a student org wants to order squeeze balls for stress relief, the student org will hold an activity and talk about stress management with the larger student body. Another example is buying t-shirts. A student org may buy t-shirts for its members. The college and student org is asking its members to 'participate' in the activity of advertising the student org and college.

Yes. A student org may purchase food for an event that is held at a specific time and place. A student org may not purchase food to give away to individuals without an event (which could include a meeting) being sponsored.