19 Understanding the Student Funding Policy
REQUIRED READING
Occasionally the Student Association will receive requests from individual students, classes or programs to receive financial support for the delivery of activities, participation or engagement of co-curricular and extracurricular experiences that enhance the overall student educational experience.
These requests should not be made for opportunities included as a mandatory part of their program curriculum.
Funding Categories
Funding is split into two categories:
- Individual Funding (must be a fee paying student)
- Group Funding (must include 2 or more fee paying students)
Eligible & Ineligible Items
The Student Policy outlines the items that are eligible for student funding as well as items that are ineligible for this type of sponsorship.
| ELIGIBLE | INELIGIBLE |
|---|---|
| Professional conferences | Mandatory program cost |
| Student competitions | Past events or activities |
| Educational field trips | Initiatives already funded by the SA |
| Facility tours | Cost overruns and unforeseen expenses |
| Guest speakers on campus | Events taking place after April 30th |
| Delivery of on/off campus events | Charitable donations |
| Employer expos | Gas for carpooling in personal vehicles |
| Rental vehicle and gas to attend any of the above. | Activities that may jeopardize the SA's standing with NSCC (alcohol, canabis) |
Application Submissions
The policy clearly states that all funding application forms must be completed in full to be eligible for consideration. This includes a cost breakdown of expenses and estimates, as well as considerations for cost saving measures and fundraising already completed.
Applications should be submitted directly to the VP Finance.
VP Finances should proceed with a review meeting, and may ask the requestor to attend the Students' Council meeting where the request is being brought to a vote.
Time Frame for Requests
The deadline for submissions is no later than 2 weeks prior to the event or activity, and no requests will be accepted past April 1st.
This is in recognition that many students are either going through exams or on practical experiences off campus in the month of April, and out of respect, students may choose to hold their final Students' Council meeting in March.
Once budgeted funds are depleted, the Student Association is not obligated to provide additional funding. Students should be advised to submit funding requests well in advance of their activity.
Funding Considerations
Funding provided by the Student Association is supplemental, and is not intended to cover all event/activity costs. Students should expect to contribute personally or through fundraising.
Student Councils' Role & Approval Authority
All submitted funding requests must be added to the agenda of the upcoming Student Councils' meeting for a motion/vote.
Percentage-based Threshold
Individual campus Student Association Students’ Councils may set a funding limit between 25%-75% of overall funding request based on their submitted budget.
Example: 50% threshold on a $1500 event allows for a maximum approval of $750.
Executive Approval Authority
- Students’ Council can empower the Executive Committee to approve requests up to a specified amount.
- Requests at or below this limit do not require a Council vote.
Executive approval authority is helpful when there is a short turnaround time on a specific request, as well as when council membership is low, and meeting quorum remains difficult.
Budget Considerations
- The Student Association may recommend funding lower than the requested amount, depending on:
- Submitted budget
- Overall available remaining funds in the budget line
- The Student Association may limit the number of requests an individual/group can submit.
Funding Policy Application Form
