UC To Loosen Rules For Student Life Funding

The Undergraduate Council will loosen restrictions this week governing use of $45,000 of the Student Life Fund—a $75,000 pool created to finance student group travel and House formals—in order to allow more grants to be distributed in the upcoming semester.

The fund, established in Sept. 2008, draws from Dean of the College Evelynn M. Hammonds’s discretionary budget. Prior to its creation, the UC only funded travel within the Boston area.

But with just $2563.08 distributed to student groups for transportation costs last semester, the caps placed on the fund—$30 per student for travel by bus or train, $80 per student for travel by plane, and a $1000 maximum per student group—are being revised.

The current rules require that the fund subsidize travel for student organizations seeking unique, new opportunities, and not for annual events.

According to Finance Committee Chair Sundeep S. Iyer ’11, caps on the amount an organization can receive are expected to be raised this coming week. The council expects student groups to request funds in the spring because national competitions—many of which occur in the second semester, according to Iyer—are eligible for funding.

“We’re responding to the fact that our caps were too low and making sure that our policies are helpful,” said UC President Andrea R. Flores ’10. “This semester was a trial period.”

And with raised caps and potentially more events needing support, Flores said the UC is anticipating more applications in the spring.

The Harvard College Democrats were one of seven student groups to receive money for travel expenses last semester from the fund.

Though the Democrats requested $2000 to finance their trip to Bucks County, Pa. in October, they were only granted $750.

The money allowed a couple dozen students to travel to Pennsylvania to canvass for the re-election of Democratic Rep. Patrick Murphy and the election of then-presidential hopeful Barack Obama.

“It was unquestionably helpful in funding our trip,” said Elise X. Liu ’11, the communications director for the Democrats and a Crimson editorial writer. “Long-distance trips are extremely expensive. We wouldn’t have been able to go without it.”

The Student Life Fund also allocates $30,000 for house formals. According to Iyer, the UC gave all Houses the expected $1250 for their formals in the fall semester and anticipates giving $1250 again to each House this semester.

Distribution of the fund is handled by the UC’s Finance Committee. Organizations apply for funding through the Common Grant Application and then interview with the Finance Committee, which makes a recommendation to the entire UC.

—Staff writer Brittany M. Llewellyn can be reached at bllewell@fas.harvard.edu.