We are in a funding emergency. Student organizations lack the resources to operate, students don’t get the full club experience they deserve, and critical services are forced to scale back.
Financially, Penn seems to be doing well. With a $2.5 billion increase in the endowment this year and new buildings opening around campus, the University’s growth is visible. However, the reality for students is much less tangible.
In the past few years, the number of clubs funded by the Student Allocations Commission has doubled, but SAC’s budget has remained unchanged. In addition to SAC clubs, every facet of university life has felt the brunt of harsh budget cuts — from pre-orientation programs to the Medical Emergency Response Team.
To understand the problem, it is important to know where the money flows. Initially, the Undergraduate Assembly is given a $3 million budget to fund all student government branches (including SAC clubs), Penn Labs, MERT, and a variety of other student groups and organizations. $3 million sounds like a lot, but it is a 0% change from last year, and a 5% cut from the year before. In fact, adjusting for inflation, the UA has about $500,000 less than it did a decade ago. With a 0% change after a 5% budget cut, the UA is struggling to continue to support students across campus.
Costs to participate in student activities have also increased notably. From room bookings to travel fees, the barrier to entry for participation has only risen. For many students, joining a club means paying out of pocket for merch, travel, tickets to events, and various other costs that organizations no longer fully subsidize. To make financial pressures worse, University tuition (which contributes to the UA’s budget) has only grown at a much higher rate. In the past, the UA has combatted rising costs by distributing more money each year. However, with recent cuts, the situation has worsened, leaving student organizations and their members to absorb more of the cost.
The problem is simple: the University doesn’t give the UA enough money to fund the student experience. Now, we face the challenge of serving students effectively with comparatively fewer dollars.
The solution is not so straightforward: we want to shift this funding burden off of students and back onto the administration.
A tighter budget demands clear priorities and clever maneuvering. As we make difficult allocation decisions, we are guided by one principle: to prioritize the student-facing programs and services that matter most. In order to bridge this funding gap, the UA is fighting for a guaranteed increase in SAC’s budget. We aim to reallocate tens of thousands of dollars more to SAC, so that the 500+ student groups and 10,000+ undergraduates feel a little less constrained by these cuts. In this way, we will prioritize the improvement of the student experience.
These changes are happening fast. Our budget will be finalized in the coming weeks, and the UA’s Budget Committee will work to increase SAC clubs’ budget in the upcoming academic year.
Our work does not end with the budget. We are continuing to advocate for more money by consistently working to close funding gaps and petition the University. Of note is our recently passed Club Sports Resolution. Authored by UA Vice President Musab Chummun, the resolution calls on various University departments to increase funding and institutional support for club sports. An increase in funding for club sports would benefit all students by freeing up hundreds of thousands of dollars to be reallocated to other student organizations.
Beyond the UA’s other priorities, like project work and administrative advocacy, we aim to have the highest level of impact on students’ lives by making sure our budget is allocated in the most efficient way possible. But we cannot continue to support students when facing a lack of support from the administration.
We are elected by the students and funded by the students; we will always advocate for the students. This includes securing and expanding the resources needed for an enriching undergraduate experience. In the next week, we will focus on increasing SAC club funding. And in the near future, we will continue to push the University to support every student.
THE UNDERGRADUATE ASSEMBLY is the elected governing body of Penn Student Government. For comments, please contact Taya Allardice at communications@pennua.org.
