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Grant Restrictions

Grant Application Rules & Restrictions 

Who can apply for a grant?

All student organizations that are recognized by Student Engagement & Leadership are eligible to receive a grant from SGA EXCEPT for Departmental organizations and members of the Club Sports Federation.

What events can be funded by an SGA grant? 

The Bureau of Finance can fund various events for your student organization. We can fund any event hosted by your organization that is open to the entire university, equipment expenses, certain travel expenses for conferences/ tournaments your student organization may be participating in, or events hosted in collaboration with another organization. We CANNOT fund events that are not open to the entire university. Two grants cannot fund the same event. 

What is the maximum amount of money my organization can receive? 

As per our Bylaws, the maximum amount that can be awarded to an organization is determined by our external budget. For non-travel expenses, an organization can receive a maximum of 2.0% of SGA’s allocated external budget for the academic year. A grant for travel expenses cannot exceed 1.25% of SGA’s allocated external budget for the academic year. Multi-organizational grants may not exceed more than 2.5% of SGA’s allocated external budget and require unanimous consent by the Bureau of Finance. As per our Bylaws, we MUST pay for line items. You will NOT receive a lump sum. For this reason, we will only pay for line items, and your grant may be less than the maximum amount that could be awarded for your organization. 

What can the Bureau of Finance not fund? 

As stated previously, we can only pay for line items. However, there are several restrictions. 

  • We cannot offer reimbursements. If you have already paid for a certain item, the grant cannot reimburse you or your organization. We cannot offer reimbursements. If you have already paid for a certain item, the grant cannot reimburse you or your organization. 

  • All event catering is subject to Federal per diem rates ( https://www.gsa.gov/travel/plan-book/per-diem-rates/per-diem-rates-lookup/?action=perdiems_report&state=WV&fiscal_year=2020&zip=&city=)

    • Breakfast: $9

    • Lunch: $18

    • Dinner: $29

  • Guest speakers must be added to WVU payroll; therefore, a grant application requesting money to cover such fees must be submitted 8 weeks in advance. 

  • We CANNOT cover the expenses of rental cars, buses, vans. Only WVU Charter buses are acceptable.

  • All clothing items must be approved by WVU merchandising. See the Merchandising tab for more information. 

  • The Bureau of Finance can only cover expenses for students, no advisors/ coaches. For example, we cannot cover the cost of their ticket or hotel room if travelling with them. 

  • The following cannot be funded by an SGA grant: 

    • Gas 

    • Vaccines

    • Medications

    • Alcohol

    • Third-party lodging (Airbnb, Hotels.com)

    • Third-party ticketing (Kayak, Orbitz) 

    • Honorarium living arrangements 

    • Gift cards 

    • Tailgates

When should I apply for a grant for my organization? 

Grants are on a first come, first serve basis. Filling out this application does not guarantee a grant. Grant applications must be submitted at least FOUR weeks prior to the event being funded. Organizations requesting funding for guest fees or honorariums must submit a grant application at least EIGHT weeks prior to the event. 

How many grants can a student organization receive?

A student organization can apply for multiple grants throughout the academic year. You can apply for as many grants (as deemed necessary) until you have reached your cap. An organization will not be allowed to receive more than 2.0% of SGA’s allocated external budget. Please note, an organization can only receive no more than 1.25% of SGA’s allocated external budget for travel grants. 

Can I apply for a grant for the summer semester?

The Bureau of Finance cannot fund events or travel that will not be in the academic calendar year. Any grants requesting money after the last day of finals or before the first day of classes cannot be approved.

What happens after my grant is approved for an on campus event?

For approved grants providing funding for an event on campus, the pop up sign saying “Funded by SGA” must be signed out from the SEL office, displayed during the event, and returned in the next business day after event completion.