Section 1: Budgets

1. The Student Activity Fee will first be allocated in the forms of budgets, which are filed in the fiscal year preceding their allocations.

2. The Student Activity Fee Budget must be completed the year preceding the actual allocation. All organizations requesting budgeted funds must complete their application by the third full week of Fall Semester. Organizations may be granted extensions at the discretion of the Vice President of Finance.

   1. If it is the intent of the Vice President of Finance to recommend a change in the Student Activity Fee, then the recommended Budget must be completed by the end of third week in November, along with the recommended increase. If there will be no change to the Student Activity Fee recommended, then the budget recommendation may be made in the first meeting of Spring Semester.

3. All Tier statuses shall apply identically for budget and bill considerations.

   1. Tier 1 organizations are the highest priority organizations, and will receive first access to the funds of the Student Activity fee. These organizations may create new positions and allocate salaries from within their existing budget for these positions of their own volition. These organizations are also authorized to make their own capital expenditures. These organizations are only required to submit categorical, not detailed budgets, although they must be prepared to provided the details concerning each category should a review be conducted. All funds allocated to Tier 1 organizations will remain with the Tier 1 organizations, and any surplus from a fiscal year will be automatically rolled back into their accounts the following fiscal year. Tier 1 organizations are not required to charge a membership fee. Tier 1 organizations are SAC and the Student Center Operations Board.

   2. Tier 2 organizations are the next priority of student organizations. These organizations may create and fund new positions with the approval of both houses of Student government. These organizations may also create funded positions for students. Tier 2 organizations will submit detailed budgets. Tier 2 organizations may request a rollover of their surplus funds at the end of the fiscal year to be granted at the discretion of the Vice President of Finance. Tier 2 organizations are not required to charge a membership fee. Tier 2 organizations are DramaTech, Graduate Student Government, Intramurals, MOVE Office, Music Department, ORGT, President's Council, Student Center Program Board, Student Publications, Undergraduate Student Government, WREK.

   3. Tier 3 organizations are the final priority. Tier 3 organizations must submit a detailed budget. Tier 3 organizations may pay outside personnel, but may not have funded positions for students. Non-competitive Tier 3 organizations are required to have a membership fee of at least $10 per semester. Competitive organizations are required to have a membership fee of at least $35 per semester. Non-students shall be charged a membership fee not less than 1.5 times the student rate. Tier 3 organizations cannot receive budgetary rollovers, but bill allocations may be rolled over at the discretion of the Vice President of Finance. Tier 3 shall be all organizations not in Tier 1 or Tier 2.

4. SGA will recognize a Financial Manager on permanent staff in some Tier 2 and Tier 1 organizations.

   1. Organizations with Financial Managers will have the full sum of their budgeted funds disbursed directly to them. All other organizations will receive their funds as reimbursements through the Student Organizations office.

   2. Organizations with Financial Managers are required to submit an end-of-year report on the spending of their allocated budget, in a format to be determined by the Joint Finance Committee, but no less detailed than the organization's budget submission.

   3. Organizations with Financial managers are SAC, Student Center Operations Board, Student Center Programs Board, Student Publications, Intramurals, and WREK.

5. All organizations' budgets are subject to the rules in this section.

   1. The following activities will not be funded in budgets:

      1. Partisan Political Activities

      2. Religious Activities

      3. Social Fraternal Activities

      4. Events with alcohol present

   2. The following will not be funded in budgets

      1. First-time events

      2. Capital expenditures with the exception of regularly purchased items or installment plan purchases

      3. Dues for national affiliations

      4. Any miscellaneous expenses

      5. More than one periodical subscription, which must cost less than $100 and be stored at the library

      6. Books, music, or other media exceeding $100

      7. Newsletters exceeding one per meeting per member

      8. Awards of any kind

      9. Non-event-specific publicity in excess of $170

      10. Benefits for part-time employees

      11. Phone directory entries

      12. Postage in excess of $50

      13. Off-season competitions for sports clubs

      14. Recruitment activities

      15. Items unrelated to the primary purpose of the organization

      16. FASET materials

      17. Speaker Fees

      18. Any food-related items

      19. Any lodging

6. The additional rules in this section apply only to Tier 3 organizations

   1. All rules governing bills shall also apply to Tier 3 organizations.

   2. No organization may receive more than three times their annual revenue in their budget.

   3. All sports clubs or clubs that place members at physical risk must have insurance, and copy of proof of insurance must be kept on file with SGA. All clubs with capital property with a value over $2500 must also have it insured for normal club activities.

   4. Office expenses must obey the guidelines in this table

      Number of Members	Maximum Office Expenses
      1-50	$25
      51-100	$50
      101+	$75

   5. No prizes or awards can be funded.

   6. No apparel that does not remain with the organization will be funded.

   7. A Tier 3 organization cannot budget travel or registration for more than 5 events.

   8. No expenses associated with maintenance of a website will be funded.

   9. Any social entertainment, such as DJ's or bands, costing over $500 must be funded in a bill.

Section 2: Bills

1. Loans may not be funded. This is Georgia state law.

2. Tier 1 organizations may not apply for funds in bills.

3. JFC shall not recommend funding for anything which can be had at a lower cost or for free through existing campus facilities.

4. Any organization requesting an allocation MUST have every bill endorsed by the president of the organization.

5. JFC shall not recommend funding more than one social event per organization per semester.

6. No bill will be used to fund an expenditure occurring in the past.

   1. If an organization has pre-paid for an event occurring in the future, this is not considered a retroactive expenditure.

   2. If a bill is delayed from being considered in the normal course of SGA business through no fault of the organization, the expenditure is not considered retroactive.

   3. Consideration of a bill ahead of the normal schedule will not alter the bill’s status with respect to retroactivity.

7. A bill for durable items with an expected life of over three years will draw from the Capital Outlay account. Capital improvements to existing buildings or property do not fall within the Board of Regents policy for Student Activity Fees. Any disposal of items purchased from Capital Outlay funds must have the conditions of its disposal approved by JFC.

8. An event requesting an allocation that offers no opportunity for graduate student participation must draw from Undergraduate Legislative Reserve. An event requesting an allocation that offers no opportunity for undergraduate student participation must draw from Graduate Legislative Reserve.

   1. If there is opportunity for Graduate and Undergraduate participation, but participation does not actually involve both, then the bill may draw from either the respective Legislative Reserve account or Prior Year.

9. All expenditures that do not qualify for Capital Outlay, Graduate Legislative Reserve, or Undergraduate Legislative Reserve shall draw from Prior Year

10. SGA will view itself as the last source of funding for any organization, and organizations that come to SGA without previous fundraising for the expenditure must provide valid proof that the organization constitutionally cannot get funding elsewhere and that the expenditure is essential.

11. If a portion of an allocation is not spent after six weeks, the Vice President of Finance may author a resolution to re-encumber the unspent funds.

12. All bills shall be reviewed by the Joint Finance Committee in the week between their introduction into New Business and their consideration under Old Business. All recommendations of the Joint Finance Committee must be transmitted by the Joint Finance Chair to both houses in a timely manner.

13. All bills concerning Conferences, Tournaments and other Travel will conform to the regulations of this section

    1. SGA can be considered a primary source of funding for a conference.

    2. Conferences and Tournaments hosted on campus must be entirely self-sufficient and shall not be funded.

    3. Lodging and food will not be funded.

    4. Travel will be funded according to the following table

       # of Students	Rate Per Mile	Maximum Mileage	Maximum Cost
       1-4	$0.075	6000	350
       5-8	$0.15	5000	750
       9-12	$0.25	4000	1000
       13-28	$0.50	3000	1500
       29-44	$0.75	3000	2250
       45+	$1.00	3000	3000

    5. Conference Registration Fees and travel will be funded for up to six members, up to $200 per individual and $1000 per conference.

    6. Tournament Registration Fees are done a per-team basis. Competitive teams that consist of many individuals participating in separate events may be funded for up to $200 per individual and $1000 per tournament.

    7. International travel shall be subject to the same restrictions outlined above.

    8. Individual undergraduates representing Georgia Tech may be funded from the Undergraduate Legislative Reserve at a maximum of $200. Individuals are expected to contact their departments first.

14. Requests for speaking fees and honoraria are considered on a per-event basis, considering the value of the event to campus. Lodging and Travel for the speaker will not be funded.

15. On campus events are subject to the rules in the section

    1. Funds will not be allocated for more than one event per organization per semester

    2. Organizations wishing to host an event will contribute a minimum of $2.00 per dues-paying member. Collaborating organizations are exempt from this requirement.

    3. Organizations hosting an event are expected to utilize the most economical means available, taking into account stature and formality of the event.

    4. Events open to non-Tech student will not be funded above the non-student cost.

16. Publicity will be funds according to the rules in this section.

    1. Copies, banners, and fliers will be funded at current Student Organizations Office rate.

    2. Fliers shall not be provided in excess of one third of current campus enrollment rounded to the nearest thousand.

    3. Programs shall not be funded in excess of the event venue capacity.

    4. No more than four posters will be funded for one event.

    5. No more than two banners will be funded for one event.

    6. No more than one half-page Technique ad shall be funded for one event.

    7. No more than one bucket of sidewalk chalk will be funded for one event.

17. No food or food-associated expenditures will be approved by the Joint Finance Committee. Venue rental and decorations can be funded.

18. No prizes or awards will be funded

19. Miscellaneous electronic parts will not be funded in excess of $50. Miscellaneous electronic parts are considered parts with a price less than $10.

20. T-Shirts and other apparel that will not remain with the organization will not be funded, unless the apparel is essential to the event, provided free of any charge, provided ONLY to Georgia Tech Students.

Section 3: Accountability

1. An annual report will be issued at the end of each fiscal year comparing the budget plan and actual expenditures over the fiscal year. This report will be prepared for the Vice President of Finance by the Student Organizations financial manager and the SAC financial manager for the organizations they manage. Student organizations with their own managers will be responsible for their own reports. Failure to submit a report will constitute a major infraction.

2. Either the Graduate President or Undergraduate President may issue an Executive Order requesting an ad hoc committee to review the finances of any student organization. A review can also be called for by a Joint Resolution. The Vice President of Finance can also form a subcommittee of the Joint Finance Committee for this purpose.

3. If a review finds any misuse of funds action including but not limited to the following steps can be taken:

   1. For minor infractions, which involve less than $1000:

      1. Re-encumbering of an equal amount of funds

      2. Deduction of an equivalent amount from the organization's next budget

   2. For repeated minor infractions involving less than $1000:

      1. Re-encumbering or deduction from the budget of a multiple the amount of disputed funds, such that the multiple is equal to the number of repetitions.

      2. Temporary revocation of the organization's charter

   3. For major infractions, involving more than $1000:

      1. A resolution of “no confidence” in the organization’s leadership

      2. Suspension of an organization’s budget.

   4. For repeated major infractions involving more than $1000:

      1. A five-year revocation of the organization's charter.

      2. Referral to the Dean of Students