Club Finances

Budget requests are due to the Student Life Board on April 1 of each year for review at the April meeting. Funding decisions will be finalized at the May meeting. Student Senate and Student Clubs will be informed after the May Student Life Board meeting of their approved budget for the next fiscal year. The funds approved will be available in the Student Senate cost centers before the start of the next academic year.

Student Clubs will work with the Student Affairs Division Coordinator to access any approved funds. Student Senate, Student Clubs may submit additional funding requests throughout the academic year as needed. To have funds available in the cost center in July and August, Student Senate, must submit a budget request in April of each year.

The Student Life Board does not take funding requests after their last meeting in May through August. Funding requests are only accepted September through May.

• Student Life Board

Requests for Student Life Board funding are done online by completing the online Student Life Board Funding Request that describes the purpose of the request and the amount requested.

Student Clubs are discouraged from asking for more than $2,000 an academic year. Any financial request will be evaluated closely by the Student Life Board and a detailed budget request must be provided.

Requests for funding must be submitted online. Requests must be submitted by noon the Friday before the next scheduled Student Life Board Meeting. Requests not submitted on time will be held until the next scheduled meeting. A club representative is required to attend the Student Life Board meeting where their funding request will be discussed. The advisor is welcome to attend as well. If no student representative is able to attend, the Student Life Board may hold the request until the next scheduled meeting.

Requests for funding will be reviewed at each meeting. Requests should be made and will be reviewed the semester that the funds will be used.

Determination of funding requests may be based on factors such as:

• Well thought out funding request
• Purpose of the requested funds
• Total amount of funds requested by the club
• Recommendation of the club advisor(s)
• Benefit to the HTC community
• Fundraising (if funds to be used will be used to fundraise)

Any questions about funding requests can be directed to the Student Affairs Division Coordinator or the Director of Student Life and Career Development.

• Student Life Board

The following items will not be funded by the Student Life Board:

• Textbooks, tools, or materials required for courses. Requests for items that will be used by a club that also could be used in the classroom will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
• Donations to the college or college foundation
• Scholarships
• Alcohol, drugs, and/or paraphernalia
• Membership dues (in general are not funded but may be if travel to a conference/event is funded and membership dues are required or included in the cost)

Funding requests including per diem will be allowed per State of Minnesota guidelines for non-employees.

Departments, committees and programs may be funded by the Student Life Board on a case by case basis with the minimum requirement that the funds go to an activity/event/program that will benefit the entire student body. Departments, committees and programs are able to submit a funding request and will be reviewed by the Student Life Board.

• Student Life Board

If a Student Club overspends their cost center, they will be required to meet with the Student Life Board or Director of Student Life to develop a plan of corrective action to bring the cost center to balance. Student Clubs that overspend their cost center will meet with the Director of Student Life and Career Development. If no resolution is made, the club may be made inactive and may go through the student conduct process.

Student Life Board funds allocated to inactive Student Clubs will be recapped to the Student Life Board. The fundraised money available in the cost center for Student Clubs that are inactive for a period of three consecutive semesters will be closed and the Student Life Board will recap the funds.

All funds that come into and go out of a club must be reconciled and accounted for. Student Clubs are expected to follow these guidelines:

• All monies received by a club must be deposited into the cost center through the Campus Store no later than the following work day.
• All ticket sales must be processed through the Campus Store.
• Petty cash is not allowed.
• PayPal, Square trade or any electronic banking of the like are not allowed.
• Off campus bank accounts are not allowed.
• Club Deposit Form

Student Clubs that use student life funds to purchase prizes to give away should track who the prize recipients are on the prize tracking form. The advisor should keep the prize tracking form on file for seven years. It is the responsibility of the club to ensure that the prizes go to students, not Hennepin Technical College employees.

• Prize Tracking Form

Student Senate, Student Clubs receiving funding from the Student Life Board may be audited at any time. If audited, copies of receipts/invoices paid by Student Life funds, along with the description of how that expense benefited students, will be requested. It is recommended that copies of all receipts/invoices by kept by the club advisor for 3 years per Minnesota State record retention policy and that a list of equipment purchased using student life funds be kept and made available to the Student Life Board upon request. Failure to complete the audit will result in a freeze of the club cost center until the audit is complete.