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Club Funding Use Guidelines

Student Funding Overview

Student and club funding comes from a percentage (approximately 18.5%) of the comprehensive fee all Monmouth students pay every semester.  SGA in turn uses this money to fund the annual funding of clubs, special event funding (SEF) for students and clubs, sport club funding (SCF) for the University’s club sports and travel funding (TFR) for students and student groups that are not eligible to receive annual funding from SGA. In an effort to help students, clubs and their advisors, the following guidelines highlight how annual, SEF, SCF and TFR may be used. Students, clubs, and their advisors are encouraged to review the following guidelines before they plan a program or trip off-campus.

Section 1. Student Funding Overview

Student and club funding come from a percentage (approximately 18%) of the comprehensive fee all Monmouth students pay every semester.  SGA allocates these funds through the classifications below:

  1. Annual Funding (AF)
    • Budget provided by SGA to clubs and organizations for an academic year.
    • Once a club or organization receives an annual budget, they are required to submit both fall and spring rosters, participate in the Fall and Spring Involvement Fairs, Open House, and leadership programs to include Monmouth Leads.
    • Clubs and organizations are expected to actively use the AF it has received over the course of both the fall and spring semesters for programs and events that preferably take place on campus.  Failure to do so will negatively impact the AF a student group receives in the future. 
  2. Specialty Funding(SF)
    • Funding given to clubs and organizations that do not receive AF must occur on campus. Specialty Funding (SF) is divided into three categories:
    • *Special Event Funding (SEF) for students and clubs seeking funds solely for on-campus special events/activities/programs. 
    • Sport Club Funding (SCF) for the University’s club sports.
    • Travel Funding Request (TFR) for students and student groups that are not eligible to receive annual funding from SGA.

*SGA will not consider SEF requests that include expenses for off campus travel, requests to purchase apparel, expenses related to the recognition of Monmouth University community members or guests.  SEF funding must be used for actual programs, activities and events that occur on-campus.

The following guidelines highlight how Annual Funding (AF) and Specialty Funding (SF) may be used. It is the responsibility of students, clubs, and their advisors to review the following guidelines noted below before they plan to use club funds for a program or trip off-campus. 

Section 2. Disqualifying Factors

  1. Groups that discriminate because of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, and/or political persuasion will not receive any funding.
  2. AF is only available to clubs that do not require its members to pay any kind of fee or dues to participate as part of the club or club sport.

Section 3. Prohibited Expenditures/Reimbursements

  1. Activities/events/programs that do not directly benefit Monmouth University students.
  2. Activities/events/programs that solely benefit alumni.
  3. For the recognition/initiation/dues of members as part of a club, fraternity or sorority or an honor society.
  4. Funding may not be used to create or sponsor scholarships, grants, donations, or fundraisers. (Funds raised by a club or organization, that did not involve the use of any AF, are exempt)
  5. AF and SG cannot be used to purchase items that will be sold again as part of a fundraising activity. (Please note: clubs may use their own money to pay for such items, i.e., goods for a bake sale).
  6. Enrollment in academic courses, academic requirements, payment of graduate assistantships, lab fees, academic related travel, required in-class activities, internships, co-operative learning experiences, or any other expense related to a student’s academic experience.
  7. Use of funding to upgrade/modify/renovate a campus space/facility/office.
  8. Entertainment that is not open to the entire student body.
  9. Automobile rental other than through approved travel reimbursement.
  10. The issuance of cash prizes.
  11. Purchases of alcoholic and/or cannabinoid products.
  12. Purchases of drug or alcohol paraphernalia.
  13. Monmouth University does not reimburse students or clubs the cost of tax related to purchases or expenditures.

Section 4. General Policies

The Office of Student Engagement (OSE) and the Student Government Association (SGA) require students/clubs/organizations to find the most cost-effective way to using funding they have received.

  1. To apply for/access AF or SF, clubs must first have an official roster on file with the OSE.
    • Students and clubs should not attempt to pay for or schedule programs, trips or activities that take place outside the normal academic year.  Events that occur outside this timeframe will be reviewed by OSE/SGA on a case-by-case basis.
  2. All leftover annual club funding at the end of the academic year will return to the SGA reserve account for future allocation.
  3. Clubs that receive annual funding may not contribute more than $3,000 from their annual budget to support wages for federal work study/student help.
    • OSE must approve all federal work student and student help requests for clubs/groups.
  4. Clubs may purchase promotional items/apparel to market an event or the club.   Students and clubs must collect two or more quotes from different apparel vendors before OSE reviews the purchase request.Cos
    • Limitations – SGA shall provide financial support for apparel items not to exceed:$15 per T-Shirt, Long Sleeve shirt, or Outerwear (club and organization members will be responsible for any amount above $15 per item).
    • Students/clubs may not make requests for apparel within 4 weeks of the end of classes during the spring semesters.
  5. Students and clubs can reasonably use funding to purchase awards, plaques, or certificates.
  6. Students and clubs must submit all receipts for reimbursement within (2) two weeks following the date of the event.  Failure to do so will result in the denial of a reimbursement.

Section 5. Food and Meals

  1. Students and clubs must use Gourmet Dining Services when they plan to serve food at an on-campus event.
    • Any exception to this rule must receive prior approval from the Director of Gourmet Dining Services no less than one-week before the intended date of the event.
  2. Students, clubs, and councils are limited to purchasing meals/food no more than three (3) timesper semester for group meetings.   SGA reminds said groups to be mindful of the total cost and to curb overall food expenses in this regard.
  3. Students and clubs who travel to an off-campus conference or competition must plan for food/meals that do not exceed the price guidelines below.$55.00 per day per person:
    • Breakfast no more than $15.00.
    • Lunch/Brunch no more than $15.00.
    • Dinner no more than $25.00.
    • This would include food/meals that occur on-campus, at a restaurant, and during off-campus travel to a defined learning experience, a conference or competitions. Students and advisors must submit itemized receipt(s) from the business for reimbursement.  Meal/food expenses that are above the limits noted are the responsibility of the student(s) or advisor(s).
    • Meal/food reimbursements may only occur if the club or organization has the funding to cover such expenses.  Otherwise, students and advisors who take part in the off-campus trip are responsible for covering the cost of their own food.

Section 6. Off-Campus Travel/Programs/Events

  1. OSE must approve all travel off-campus no less than 45 days before the intended trip.  Failure to comply with this requirement will result in a voided request for travel.
  2. The use of student funding for off-campus travel must directly relate to the mission/purpose of the group (i.e., attending a local, regional, national, or international conference/competition/educational experience) is permissible.
  3. Students and clubs are not permitted to purchase tickets or gain admission to events or other activities off-campus, such as but not limited to amusement parks, concerts, theatrical shows, golf outings, movies, or sporting events solely for the club, organization or council’s enjoyment or pleasure.
  4. Off-Campus travel to programs and events noted in item 3 above is permissible as long as the club, organization, or council opens the event and markets it to the entire Monmouth University student community.   With that in mind, said groups may use AF or SF funding in the following ways:To cover the cost of travel (bus/
    • shuttle) to the event/venue.
    • To off-set no more than 50% of the cost of just tickets or admission to a venue for students.
    • Non-students/guests are expected to pay the full-ticket/admission cost of the program or event.
    • Food/meals will be responsibility of the students and guests who attend the event.
    • Please note, clubs, organizations and councils are encouraged to fundraise and/or seek out financial co-sponsorship to support off-campus related programs and events

Section 7. Policies Only Applicable to SF

  1. Clubs that receive an annual budget are not eligible to apply for SF.
  2. Clubs without an annual budget may receive SF once per semester.
  3. Special Event Funding (SEF):
    • is limited to students and groups that intend to hold a one-time only on-campus program/event.
    • SGA will allocate individual SEF in amounts up to $3,500.00 a semester for programs and events that take place on-campus.
  • Sport Club Funding (SCF)
    • May only be used to cover the following expenses:
      • Cost of renting a school bus or van
      • Competition registration fees
      • Practice facility rental fee
      • Hotel fees
      • Cost of food during travel (See Policy 3 of Food & Meals Section)
      • Non-personal team equipment (i.e. balls, goals, bats, bases, nets)
    • Sport Clubs that intend to travel are not required to submit a Travel Funding Request.
    • SGA will allocate individual SCF amounts up to $3,500.00 a semester for approved expenses.
  • Travel Funding Request (TFR)
    • Is a matching grant that requires applicants to show proof of funds raised toward an intended trip.
    • SGA may allocate individual TFR amounts up to $3,500.00 a semester for approved expenses.
  • Expenses above and beyond the SF allocation are the responsibility of the student/club/sport club.

Section 8. Recommendations and Expectations

  1. Students and clubs must use their funding in a responsible and cost-efficient manner.
  2. Clubs should actively work with their advisor/coach to process payments and reimbursements in a timely manner. You should take no more than (2) two weeks to process this information after the event or off-campus trip or activity.
  3. All on-campus events and off-campus trips hosted by students and clubs MUST receive prior approval from the Office of Student Engagement.  To schedule a meeting to discuss an intended trip off-campus call 732-571-3586.
  4. If any student, club, or their advisor/coach has a question regarding the way it intends to use any student funding it has received, they should speak to the SGA Budget Committee before it commits any resources to a proposed activity/expense.
  5. Failure to follow these guidelines may affect a student/club’s ability to apply for student funding in the future.
  6. Students, clubs and organizations are always encouraged to contact OSE/SGA when they have a funding question.
  7. It is the responsibility of a club/organization’s leadership and its advisor(s) to ensure that when it receives AF or SF, such funds are supporting programming that takes place during both the fall and spring terms.  Failure to use the funding it has received during each semester may that may impact any AF a club or organization would receive in the future. 

OSE/SGA reserves the right to review student/club expenses when a concern regarding AF and SF arises. For more information call OSE at 732-571-3586, SGA at 732-571-3484 or send an email to sgabudgets@monmouth.edu for Annual Funding questions or sgaeventfunding@monmouth.edu for Specialty Funding related questions. SEF/SCF/TRF related questions.