For everyone involved in a student group on campus, it’s important to know the upcoming mass funding application deadline: Wednesday, April 2 at 5:00 p.m. The application process is easy, with only one form to fill out for groups reapplying and for those requesting funding for the first time. A detailed description of how to apply, including funding guidelines and directions for how to fill in the mass funding spreadsheet, can be found at on Undergraduate Student Government’s website.

Since USG’s funding varies per semester, it’s hard to determine how much money will be available to allocate to student groups. Statistics for funding in Spring 2014 show that 147 groups applied for funding and the total allocation was $147,666.49, with the average group allocation of $1,004.53. For Fall 2014, USG hopes to have between $186,587 to $206,782 to allocate to somewhere between 150 and 200 student groups, according to USG treasurer Chippy Kennedy.

When awarding funding, the finance committee must follow specific guidelines. These include awarding no more than $5,000 per group and no less than $100, which is the automatic allocation given to any student group that applies for funding. Out of the 147 groups that applied for funding in Spring 2014, only six received no more than their automatic allocation, one of which only requested the minimum $100.

In the future, the Finance Committee’s goal in relation to mass funding is to “bridge the gap between itself and the student organizations it serves.” The hope is that every student organization on campus will apply for mass funding, and they will understand and be satisfied with the allocation they receive.