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Is it difficult to get an event funded at SC?
Not if you understand the process and know how to navigate the system—which is what we’re here for. We’re hoping that this site provides you all the information you need to give you the best shot at getting your program funded.
Who can receive money?
Only student-run student organizations recognized through the Office of Campus Activities or the Office for Residential and Greek Life. Also, undergraduate student organizations cannot receive graduate funding unless the event directly impacts graduate students or is cosponsored by a graduate student organization (and vice versa).
Undergraduate students who have paid the Student Programming Fee—which is all of you—may receive funds even if they are not part of an organization if an organization sponsors the individual for a specific event. This money would count towards the organization's funding limit.
If I get my event partially funded by one of the boards, can I get the rest of the funding from another board?
Not if the other board’s money is programming fee money. Individual organizations or applicants cannot receive funding for a given event from more than one programming fee funding board (i.e. Discretionary Fund, Leadership Fund, Philanthropy Fund, Professional Fund, and all assemblies).
Be sure to let the board you apply to know what other funds you are eligible for. Proposals received from organizations with access to other University mandated fees must disclose this information on their application.
Who can help me with the funding process?
The directors of the funding boards and the peer leadership consultants in HSH 100 have tons of good information for you. Here’s how to find them:
Monish Tyagi
Director, Academic Research Fund
arfund@usc.edu
Kelsey Ford
Director, Discretionary Fund
discfund@usc.edu
Liz Trower
Director, Discretionary-Leadership Development Fund
leadfund@usc.edu
Victoria Luk
Director, Philanthropy Fund
philfund@usc.edu
Emily Connors
Director, Professional Fund
proffund@usc.edu
Dylan Macdonald & Kevin Homsy
Co-Directors, PALM
uscpalm@usc.edu
Peer Leadership Consultants
stuacts@usc.edu
If you can’t find the information you’re looking for, you can always come in and visit us in the Office of Campus Activities. Our office is located behind the bookstore, in Hazel & Stanley Hall 100, and we’re more than happy to help you.
What is an approved vendor?
An approved vendor is any type of seller that has completed the appropriate paperwork with the University enabling them to accept purchase orders as payment.
How do I find out if a vendor is an approved vendor at USC?
Click here to see a list of commonly used vendors. Unfortunately, a complete list of approved vendors does not exist, but you can visit the USC Purchasing Website for more information.
You can also call Purchasing at (213)740-9794 to check on a vendor's status or to obtain a form to make a vendor a USC approved vendor.
Remember, even if a vendor is approved by USC, it is the student organizations responsibility to contact the vendor and make sure they accept purchase orders from USC.
What types of events are funded?
It’s easier to answer the question, “what types of events aren’t funded?” If you understand the university’s funding policies and can successfully navigate the system, you can find funding for your event. Conferences, seminars, retreats, workshops, recognition, and community service events are just a small sampling of the hundreds of programs that get funded every year.
Some things to remember:
- First off, your event must be open to any and all students that wish to participate. Funding boards won’t make a judgment based solely on how many people might show up for the event, so don’t worry about that, but your event won’t receive any funding if it isn’t open to the student population at large.
- Second, the event must take place on university property. An exception may be considered if the Board determines the program substantially benefits the USC student community, but don’t count on winning an exception.
- Third, you need to come prepared to your funding board presentation. Only planned programs with detailed cost breakdowns and vendor quotes will be considered for funding.
- Finally, any event whose purpose is to raise funds cannot be funded.
That was longwinded. Let’s get down to brass tacks: What can't be funded? We’ll keep it short and sweet:
- Alcoholic beverages
- Food, except when it is a necessary and vital part of the program
- T-shirts, except when vital to the program
- Any “miscellaneous” amounts
- Reimbursements
- Airfare for non-students
What if I don’t get any funding from the board I present to?
If you are 100% rejected—as in, you receive zero funding from a board—then you can apply to a different funding board, just as long as you’re still meeting all deadlines. Our recommendation: don’t wait until 4 weeks before the event to apply for funding. If you do and you apply to a board and get rejected, you’re stuck.
If you receive partial funding from one of the programming fee funding boards, you can’t receive any other funding from another programming fee funding board.
Let’s get technical—what do “P.O.” and “I.R” stand for?
P.O. stands for “purchase order,” which is a method by which we pay vendors. It is not a check, but rather a sort of official promise to pay the vendor once the original invoice has been mailed to the purchasing office at SC.
Once you receive an invoice from the vendor for the service/items, return the original copy to the Funding Board. This is very important, since the vendor can only be paid once this original invoice is received.
I.R. stands for “internal requisition,” which is a method for payment for all on-campus purchases and services (except mail services). Once an I.R. is requested, the I.R. will be generated by the Purchasing Office, and you can give it to the on-campus department so they can be paid.
And an “original receipt?”
An original receipt is the receipt that is handed to you by the merchant. When we say you must turn in original receipts, what we’re saying is that we need the actual receipt given to you by the vendor or merchant, not a fax or a copy or a hand-drawn sketch. These receipts must also be itemized.
What is an “original invoice?”
An original invoice is any invoice that is given to you by a merchant. If you’re asked for an original invoice, it has to be an invoice (not a quote) and it has to be the authentic original (not a fax or copy).
So when can I get money?
All funding boards require applications to be turned in four weeks prior to the event, except for the Purchases At the Last Minute (PALM) Fund, whose application can be turned in as late as two weeks prior to the event.
When should receipts be turned in?
All original receipts and invoices must be turned in within two weeks after the date of your event.
When do the funding boards meet?
Each funding board has a set time weekly when they meet. Check out the USG website for their funding boards’ meeting times, http://usg.usc.edu. Information about GPSS can be found at http://www.usc.edu/org/gpss/.
Where do the funding boards meet?
Every funding board is different. Contact the funding boards at the email addresses we listed above, or check the USG webpage for more information, http://usg.usc.edu.
Where can I get a funding application?
Applications can be found in the Undergraduate Student Government office (STU 106), GPSS, the PLC Office in Hazel and Stanley Hall 100, and on this website. So many choices!
Where do I turn in receipts?
Turn in all receipts to the director of the specific funding board from which you received funds.
Why do I need to turn in receipts?
The University must have proof that the purchases you make for the event are limited to only the approved purchases. Submitting receipts is the ONLY way the University knows that it must pay the merchant.
Where can I go for more help?
The USG Office (STU 106) and the GPSS Office (HSH 100) are teeming with people who want nothing more than to help you. If you’re looking for help or information on URSC funding, ask an RA, visit the URSC website (www.ursctrojans.org), or visit the Office of Residential Education in Student Union 200h. For help with PALM and for all other questions, you can always come visit us here in Hazel & Stanley Hall 100.
We do our best to keep student organizations in the loop and help them navigate the university’s system.
Why are there so many rules?
These rules exist so that all monies distributed are distributed properly and fairly. Almost every student pays a programming fee that gets directly reinvested in student life—these rules exist to ensure that the money is equitably allocated and serves to benefit any and all students at the University.
We promise: the rules exist to benefit students and ensure that resources are allocated out appropriately. Many of these rules are University policies, and we try to make them as easy to understand and follow as possible. Please feel free to come by HSH 100 if you are confused or need help.
What happens if a student organization does not follow the guidelines?
Look—don’t skirt the rules. Like we said before, the rules exist to help students, not to burden you. Failing to abide by the guidelines not only puts you and your student organization at risk, but it deprives you of the opportunities that the guidelines themselves afford you in the first place.
Depending on what guidelines were not followed, the student organization could be responsible for paying the money back and until further notice their student organization privileges would be revoked. Some student organizations who fail to abide by the guidelines are disallowed to receive funding in the future, and extreme cases are sent to SJACS.
We know it sounds like a lot of work to fill out applications, give proposal presentations, deliver original invoices and original receipts no later than 2 weeks after an event, and submit a funding evaluation form. But trust us when we tell you that the alternative is much more arduous and would have you wishing you’d just done it right.
Why do I have to go through the funding process?
Because you’re paying for a world-class education, and that doesn’t just include your classes. When you pay tuition and fees to the university, your programming fee is directly inserted into the student programming budget, and we really do feel that students are entitled to the best possible programs and events. The funding process allows extracurricular life at USC to flourish, and for every event to realize its full potential.
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