The Student Government Association approved funding for 86 campus organizations, with money remaining in the organization budget.

More money was requested from the SGA by student organizations for 2012-2013 than last year, but approved allocations for the upcoming year total slightly less compared to the past year.

At  the culmination of budget hearings March 1, allocations for student organizations totaled $484,293.40, and a remainder of $20,990.60 will be allocated to the 26 SGA-recognized campus organizations that did not yet submit budget applications.

“We (trimmed) the fat off the budget this year,” said Nick Livengood, current executive treasurer. “We hope that with the increase in students next year, we can put a bit more money back into our terminal fund for special allocations.”

[box]Allocations: $484,293.40 for all student organizations

Remainder: $20,990.60 to be distributed to 26 organizations that did not submit budget applications[/box]

The SGA also retains a 5 percent contingency fund that is used for executive allocations, special allocations and funding for student trips and off-campus events.

The expected increase in students next year combined with an increased demand for organizational funding stretched the 2012-2013 student activity budget slightly thinner than in previous years. But Scott Bishopric, executive treasurer-elect, said he believes student organizations will continue to thrive.

“We have a larger class, but the same budget, and we have some constraints that we need to deal with,” Bishopric said. “But we are dealing with a campus full of student leaders that can make up for the extended ambitions that they have with extended creativity.”

Bishopric said more student organizations had plans for self-funding during the upcoming year than in previous years.

“We had brand-new organizations that said (during budget hearings) that this was the only time they would apply for funding,” Bishopric said. “They created for themselves a self-sustaining model.”

Overall, Bishopric said he is pleased with the budget allocations for 2012-2013 and said he hopes to contribute to worthwhile efforts on campus as treasurer next year.

“The SGA has given money to some great causes this year,” he said. “The (special) allocations that I will propose to make will be based on the merit of the requests I receive.”

After assuming office in April, Bishopric plans to schedule make-up budget hearings immediately, rather than in the fall like last year. He also plans to include the SGA organizational council in the budget hearing process, a movement that is pending legislation.

“My past two years in the SGA have been spent on the organizations council, and I’ve realized it’s an incredibly powerful tool that needs to be utilized to a greater extent,” Bishopric said. “I think that bringing the organization into the budget hearing process really improves the SGA’s ability to serve the student body on a person-to-person level.”