SGA passes 2 bills updating university funding procedures

By Joseph Ndu, News Reporter

September 28, 2025

The Student Government Association sign hangs on a wall in the Holmes Student Center in the OASIS pit. The SGA passed several bills to update financial procedures and policies for student organizations at their meeting Friday. (Northern Star File Photo)

DeKALB – The SGA voted to update financial policies and procedures for student organization funding on Friday in the Holmes Student Center.

BILL TO MODERNIZE FINANCIAL POLICY

The senate approved a bill updating the language of the SGA’s finance policy.

The annual budget outlines the procedure to allocate funds to SGA-recognized organizations based on a tier system.

According to the SGA’s previous finance policy, tier one was defined as “University Departments and Department Organizations” and defined as “having office space on campus, office staff and having a direct responsibility to the student body.”

Tier two was defined as “Governing Councils and Sports and Recreation,” and includes any organization where a middle-person or entity is involved in the distribution of funds to those under their oversight.

Neither tiers had a limit to the maximum amount able to be requested for funding.

According to the new policy, tier one, or non-funded organizations, which are not annually funded, may only request a maximum amount of $500 for funding.

Tier two, or competitive organizations, may only request a maximum of $1,000 for funding.

Tier three, or organizations affiliated with a specific academic interest or NIU department, are now required to give budget presentations.

The bill passed in a 7-1 vote.

BILL TO UPDATE ANNUAL FUNDING PROCESS

The SGA’s annual funding process for student organizations was changed so that student organizations can present budgets through Huskie Hub instead of in-person at senate meetings or to the finance committee.

Senate speaker Nathan Gonzalez explained the former process for budget presentations.

“There are instances where it says student organizations have to come, physically, to either the senate or finance committee. This was back when almost all annual funding presentations had to be brought up to senate and/or the SGA finance committee,” Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez explained that these procedures are outdated due to the creation of Huskie Hub.

“All those are now sent through Huskie Hub, so if you have a form that the SGA finance committee reviews and improves off of, there’s no reason to have this,” Gonzalez said.

The bill was passed unanimously in an 8-0 vote.

The next SGA meeting will be held at 4:30 p.m. on Friday in the Sky Room of the Holmes Student Center.