By Shelby Brown–
SGA will allocate $20,000 originally tabbed to send students to the NCAA Final Four to student support services.
The money had been set aside for students to travel to the men’s and women’s Final Four. During the senate meeting, SGA President Aaron Vance said the funds will now focus on student support services like the counseling center and Ekstrom Library.
“We know that they want to see more counselors,” Vance said. “And if we’re on the cusp and if this is what’s holding us back, the budget situation, we want to be able to help.”
Vance also spoke on the student’s concerns about the student athletic fee. He called the fee an ongoing issue.
“Students notice when their bills are a little higher,” Vance said. “This one more so because students don’t understand where it goes. We all know that it’s just a blank check to athletics.”
Vance hopes to phase out of the fee, like the University of Kentucky.
“It can be done,” Vance said. “I don’t think this is a herculean task by any means.”
SGA is investigating if removing the fee would increase student ticket prices.
“Every fee, under state law, is supposed to have a direct purpose,” Vance said. “The original purpose of it was to stabilize the athletic budget. I would say $100 million in revenue generation is pretty stable.”
