ASUCD raises budget threshold required before cutting off funding to RSOs
Clubs will not be able to get Senate funding once its reserves go down to 17.5%
By KIMBERLY AYSON and VINCE BASADA — campus@theaggie.org
The ASUCD Senate has raised the threshold required before it cuts off funding for registered student organizations (RSOs), in part reflecting tighter budgets for the student government for the 2026-27 school year.
The changes were made at the Senate’s Oct. 22 meeting and passed as part of Senate Bill (SB) #3, authored by Internal Vice President (IVP) Rosa Linda Martinez Ruano. Under the change, if Senate Reserves deplete to 17.5%, the Senate will stop providing funds for RSO events and programming. That equates to about $9,486 of the just over $54,200 in reserves.
Previously, the cutoff threshold was 10%, or when reserves deplete to $5,420. Once Senate Reserves reach the new limit, ASUCD will no longer be able to pass spending bills to fund RSO events and programming. However, senators will still be able to provide nonmonetary contributions and support.
The change reflects the tighter budget felt by ASUCD, which projected a decrease in student funds going into this school year. Senate reserves — the legislature’s discretionary funding pool — were reduced from over $90,000 in the 2025-26 academic year. Individual units within ASUCD were also asked to make 10% cuts to their budgets going into this school year.
The primary purpose of SB#3 was to clarify the criteria for the student government to either reject or accept funding requests from RSOs, according to Martinez Ruano. It also requires funding requests to be made four weeks in advance of an RSO event, as opposed to the previous two-week timeline.
“The reason this bill was introduced was because over this summer I connected with our Executive Director Heather [Gastellum] regarding the criteria on how we were denying or accepting fund requests from RSOs and departments around campus,” Ruano said. “She requested to create an established criteria that would be presented to each of the applicants when they are asking for cosponsorships or help for an event when it's directly coming from them.”
The bill initially proposed keeping the existing 10% cutoff threshold, but Senator Aaron Heth pushed for an increase to 25%. Before the Senate could discuss the proposal, ASUCD President Luis L. Garcia acknowledged the impact that a 25% threshold would have on RSOs.
“If an RSO were to come to us at the end of the year asking for funding, we might not be able to support them to the best of our ability,” Garcia said. “I understand that the budget is a little bit tight this year, but still I just want you guys to remember what each of you guys ran on and I want to take a little bit on supporting RSOs.”
In defence of the proposed 25% cutoff, Heth argued that internal funds should be directed toward ASUCD projects. He also noted that ASUCD helps fund the Club Finance Council, which provides an alternate source of funding for RSOs.
“I think that we should be concerned particularly about where the money's going,” Senator Heth said. “I also would note historically Senate reserves have been intended for internal affairs of ASUCD, and what I mean by that is just different units helping bolster units.”
The raise to 25% was ultimately rejected by the table, though Heth compromised and offered a reduced threshold of 17.5%. The suggestion was accepted, and the bill with the funding amendment was passed unanimously.
At the Oct. 22 meeting, the senate also considered SB#12, which sought to allocate $3,090.49 to the office of Interim Senator Harshpartap Dhillon for the purpose of hosting a Punjabi cultural celebration, Jaggo Night, on Jan. 8, 2027.
Authored by External Affairs Vice President Simrit Singh, the bill would have helped fund costs of booking the Activities and Recreation Center (ARC) ballroom and covering room reservation fees, decorations, music and entertainment.
Due to a technical error in the days leading up to the senate meeting, the Environmental Policy and Planning Commission was not able to review the spending bill and requested the bill be tabled for an additional week. However, after much discussion over timing constraints with event planning, the bill was amended and passed to approve funding of $1,746.75 to cover the event’s DJ and room reservation fees and book the ARC Ballroom. All other resources and items listed in the original bill — including decoration and food spending — were removed to be seen as part of a separate bill at a future time.
The Senate also unanimously passed SB#9, allocating $185.40 for an event hosted by the Housing & Transportation Advocacy Committee, and SB#11, emergency legislation requesting $187.65 to fund an ASUCD voter education presentational event.
The meeting was called to order at 6:14 p.m. and adjourned at 8:27 p.m.
Written by: Kimberly Ayson and Vince Basada — campus@theaggie.org