The Student Services Finance Committee voted to approve more than $13 million in student segregated fee funding for the 2013-’14 University Health Services budget, which will help fund new health and wellness services for students.
The committee approved the budget by a 9-2-0 vote, with many SSFC representatives citing transparency and fiscal responsibility as the reason for their vote.
SSFC Rep. David Vines said he was pleased with the organization’s efforts to “keep costs down and keep services up.”
SSFC Rep. Ian Malmstadt agreed, saying he was impressed with the organization’s initiative to find alternative forms of revenue instead of immediately asking students to increase contributions.
Also committee members said the opportunity to take a tour of the UHS facilities Monday was helpful in showing UHS uses its funds responsibly.
In a hearing last week UHS representatives said student contributions will not increase to fund the additional services, which include a new wellness position and new access to lab tests. Each full-time student will pay approximately $172 in segregated fees to partially fund the organization.
UHS’s budget falls under non-allocable funding that is a part of university departments, which provides non-academic services to students. SSFC hears non-allocable budgets and recommends funding levels with an up or down vote. However, the budgets are ultimately under the discretion of the chancellor.
The committee also began a discussion of possible reforms to the student government funding policies, including adjustments to the funding eligibility process and definition of “direct services” to students, the main criteria for student groups to be eligible for student segregated fee funding.
