Undergraduate Student Government

at The Ohio State University

USG Funding Application Checklist and Recommendations

Any undergraduate student organization that is registered and active with the Ohio Union is eligible to receive funding from USG! To register your student organization or find out more about what constitutes a student organization, please visit the Student Activities website. 

Please note:

  • We cannot retroactively reimburse events that have already occurred before being approved for funding.
  • All funding is on a reimbursement basis. Your organization will be expected to pay for the event up front, and all amounts owed must be paid before receiving reimbursement (exception is made for Ohio Union invoices, which can be paid directly by our office).
  • There is a funding limit of $1,500 per application, and each student org is eligible to receive up to $3,000 per academic year. USG will focusing on reaching more student organizations with over 1400+ registered. You may not receive full funding or the funding twice a year. It is recommended that you partner with other student organizations as well as look at CSA funding. 

Before You Apply:

  1. Plan Ahead! Please apply at least 2 weeks or more in advance of your event. However, please do not apply more than 8 weeks in advance, as that makes it difficult for us to work into our quarterly budgets. 
  2. You must be a registered student organization and in good standing with the University. If you are not a registered student organization, you should consult with the resource room to determine how to become a student organization. 
  3. You also need to set up a Federal Tax ID # with the IRS so that the reimbursement can be issued to your student organization. We recommend that you set up a bank account for your student organization as well. 
  4. Read the Student Organization Funding Guidelines. If your application does not conform to these guidelines, you will not be considered for funding!
  5. Budget for your event.
    1. Create a detailed budget in Excel outlining all costs associated with the event or trip.
    2. If you are partnering with another student organization, you must determine and document who is purchasing what items/services as only one organization will be reimbursed for these expenses. 
    3. Be specific! A proper budget gives exact information and prices for each item.
    4. Include all fundraising efforts and any submitted/planned applications for CSA Programming Funds.
    5. For trips/conferences, please include the number of members and a breakdown of the cost for each person to attend. Explain why this travel is a necessity for your student organization and why you can't do this conference/experience locally.

Apply for Funding:

  1. Apply for funding online. Fill out all fields to ensure that your application is accepted by the system. You must attach a budget document in order for the system to accept the application. 
  2. You should receive an email confirming the submission of your application. If you do not receive one, your application was not accepted and you must resubmit, ensuring that all fields are filled out. 

After Applying:

  1. You will receive an email from the Senior Director of Allocations inviting you to present to the Allocations Committee. Generally, presentations are not heard months in advance to ensure that funding is spread evenly across the semester. Do not send an email asking about your presentation time until at most ten days before your event will occur. 
  2. Attend your scheduled meeting time.
    1. You will receive an email from the Senior Director of Allocations confirming your exact presentation time with the Allocations Committee.
    2. All Allocations meetings are held on Sundays beginning at 2:15pm in the Flag Room of the Center for Student Leadership Suite (CSLS) on the second floor of the Union, above Sloopy’s Diner. Your exact presentation time will vary. 
    3. We recommend sending one to two representatives that are briefed on all the aspects of the event as well as someone who has an understanding of the student organization’s financials.
  3. Prepare these items for your presentation, which can take whatever form you desire, but should include:
    1. Powerpoint summarizing your event and need for funds (if necessary)
    2. Information including the benefit of the event for students and/or OSU as a whole. 
    3. A copy of your specific event/trip/conference budget.
    4. You must disclose whether you have applied for CSA funding and if you were approved. 

After your meeting:

  1. You will receive an email within 3 days of your presentation stating how much your student organization was awarded.
  2. Hold your event.
    1. Remember to keep all receipts from your purchases in order to make it easier to submit your reimbursement forms!
  3. Submit your paperwork to the Student Government Office in the Union within 21 days of your event.
    1. You have up to 21 calendar days after your event to fill out the proper paperwork and return it to the USG Office to receive your funding. All the proper paperwork will be emailed to you. You must fill out everything completely and to the best of your ability.  Forms needed audit form, contract, itemized receipts and itemized invoices with proof of payment i.e. canceled check.
    2. Please note that after the submission of the proper paperwork, it will take 4-6 weeks to process before your student organization will receive a check. If you are asked to supply additional information you must do so within 3 business days or you will forfeit your reimbursement. 
    3. If your organization’s check is not picked up within 90 days of notification, the check will be voided and your organization’s right to reimbursement will be revoked. This can also effect your eligibility in the future. 
  4. Treasurers should complete audit forms using the following tips for success:
  • Audited items may deviate from the original budget as submitted on the request form, as  long as expenses submitted are still fundable
  • Use original, itemized, legible receipts
  • Provide cancelled checks and/or bank statements along with any invoices, pick-up slips, delivery orders, etc. that do not show proof of payment
  • Provide accurate, specific information on the vendors, amounts, and description of expenses
  • Do not subtotal any expense categories - list all receipts individually
  • For direct payment to Ohio State University vendors, write 'please pay directly' on invoices being submitted
  • For reimbursement to other Ohio State University departments, please provide appropriate chartfield information
  • Do not highlight expenses on thermal register receipts

If you have any additional questions, please feel free to email Senior Director of Allocations Regina Loayza at  SL-USGAllocations@osu.edu and copy usg_ipc_cgs@osu.edu.

Disclaimer: USG, similar to all student organizations, operates on a budget. Unfortunately, due to the high volume of student organizations seeking funding, not all requests will be granted. If your request is declined because USG has reached its funding limit for the semester, please try again next semester.