1. Be registered on LakerLink with the required 4 officers and an advisor.

2. Be in good standing (refer to RSO Handbook).

1. All requests must be submitted a minimum of *4 weeks in advance before the campus program/event.  *Utilize the “Timeline for Funding Requests” to be aware when the Appropriations Committee is not in session (e.g. due to semester breaks) as this also impacts the minimum date to submit a request.

2. For any requests totaling over $2,000, note the additional steps that may impact the approval timeline:

   1. Requests over $2,000: The RSO must meet with Bri Slager, [email protected], Assistant Director of Student Life, to review the details of the request after submission.

   2. Requests over $10,000:  Require approval from the general assembly of Student Senate.  The Appropriations Committee will review and vote on the request prior to making a recommendation to the general assembly. 

The event must...

1. Be open to the whole student body and promoted in that regard, including listed on the campus calendar.

2. Not be a reoccurring event, such as a general meeting. Reoccurring is defined as multiple times in one semester. Programming requests should be for events, not meetings of student organization members. Programming requests are for events and should impact a large group of students.

3. Relate to the mission of the RSO as listed in LakerLink.

4. Not include activities that promote or showcase any specific religious doctrine against any other.

5. Not include activities that promote a political candidate or position on a political referendum (cannot promote “Vote for ____” activities).

6. *Not charge admission.

7. *Not be revenue-generating (unless revenue is returned to the SLF or donated to a 501c3 organization).

*Exceptions are rare but may be made at the discretion of the Vice President of Finance with approval from the Office of Student Life and RSO Advisor.

It is the responsibility of the organization to cover and pay directly for expenses not eligible and/or not funded through the Student Life Fund. Once a request has been approved, student organizations are no longer able to request additional funds for the approved event.  For this reason, be sure to meticulously review that all costs are accounted for and accurate in your budget before submitting.   

1. Food

   1. RSOs seeking funding for food at events are required to utilize Classic Fare Catering unless a food waiver (Request for Contract Waiver of Campus Dining Agreement) has been approved by catering.  Food waivers are not given for items able to be prepared by Classic Fare Catering and are not granted for events taking place in dining venues (Kirkhof Center, Kleiner, Connection, Commons & Alumni House). 

      1. If a student organization is looking to order Pizza, they will need to utilize Jet's Pizza.

      2. Catering can include Kirkhof food options.

   2. Food for general RSO meetings is ineligible. General RSO meetings are not defined as events as they are reoccuring. 

   3. Table cloths must be rented through Laker Food Co. and not purchased from outside vendors. They are $7 per table cloth and supporting documentation would be an order confirmation in the form of an email from [email protected]. 

2. Supplies

   1. Supplies are any item that is not purchased through GVSU, i.e. off-campus food items, decorations. These supplies must be necessary for the event to exist and no already purchased by the OSL. 

   2. Items must be listed individually for supplies within the LakerLink funding system

      1. You must provide supporting documention that shows the name of the item, price of the item, and the vendor.

      2. Items to be purchased online, must include a link (Amazon, product specific sites, etc.) in the description of the item.

3. Event Promotion (printed material, videography, photography etc.)

   1. RSOs must utilize the Promotions Office; approval is subject to deadlines for design and print.

   2. Banners for general RSO promotion are ineligible.

   3. All funded events must include at least one promotional item (poster, LakerHub slide, plugger, flyer, etc.)

   4. Funds can be provided for photographers and videographers; if approved, RSOs must use the staff photographer through the Promotions Office.

4. Speakers and External Vendors (DJ, Inflatables, etc.)

   1. Quotes/documentation from the vendor must be uploaded with your request.  Do not confirm dates or amounts with the vendor until approval. Students are not authorized to sign contracts on behalf of GVSU, only authorized signers are able to sign contracts. OSL Staff are authorized signers and should be who is assisting with contracts for RSO's. 

   2. RSOs must work with Student Life to process the contract and secure payment.

   3. No speaker gift/honoraria can be included if a speaker is paid through a contract. Gifts cannot be purchased for GVSU student, staff, or faculty. 

   4. Inflatable contracts/quotes must include staffing by the company (not volunteers or representatives from the RSO) for the duration of the event, due to campus risk management procedures. 

   5. DJ’s must be from an external vendor. GVSU students are not eligible to receive payment for RSO events.

   6. GVSU faculty and staff are not eligible to receive payments for RSO events.
   7. We do not fund speaker or guest travel and will not book said travel for them. 

These items are ineligible for funding:

1. Any items purchased or paid for PRIOR to the approval of the funding request (retroactive reimbursement).

2. Arts and craft items, office supplies, or decorations already available through the Office of Student Life. This includes paint supplies. 

3. Clothing/accessories that will become personal property of an individual student. This includes clothing or apparel items including costumes.

4. General RSO or event “giveaways” (custom magnets, pens, etc.)

5. Individual membership dues to local/regional/national organizations.

6. Seed money for fundraising activities or sponsorship money for a RSO to support an event hosted by a campus department or external entity. 

7. Items that are to be given away or donated to anyone who is not a GVSU student including food. 

8. Speaker gifts/honoraria over $25 per person; recipient/s must be external to GVSU (not for faculty / staff / students). All speaker gifts should be from the GVSU Bookstore and be GVSU branded. We do not purchase speaker gifts for speakers that are paid for services. 

9. Gift cards, prize money, or other purchased giveaways

10. Promotions Office rush fee or Catering late fee.

11. Latex balloons due to the potential for allergies. 

12. Props or equipment that would only be used for a one-time event or production or that exceed storage capacity on-campus. 

13. Off-campus facility rentals or contracts for events.

14. Specific themed event supplies that would not be reused for future events by the organization. 

1. Be registered on LakerLink with the required 4 officers and an advisor.

2. Be in good standing (refer to RSO Handbook).

3. Not have a bias selection criteria for membership (i.e. interview process or anything beyond GPA requirement).

The individual completing the request must

1. Be a currently enrolled student at GVSU and must be a student during the time of travel unless otherwise approved.

2. Be part of the organization’s roster on LakerLink.

3. Have approval from RSO President or Financial Officer as eligible to request funds.  Refer to process below for specific details.

4. Have not already received individual travel funding through the Student Life Fund in the current academic year. Students will only be approved to receive travel funding once per academic year even if the individual maximum of funds was not awarded.

5. Organization name must be listed in the request for funding. 

1. The travel opportunity must be related to the mission of the RSO.

2. The RSO must be traveling domestically (international travel including Canada is prohibited).

3. Travel must have a minimum of $50 and maximum of $500 to be eligible.

4. A maximum of five different RSO members may receive funding on behalf of the organization.

5. Individuals requesting funds through the Academic Conference Fund (ACF) may not submit a funding request through the Student Life Fund.

6. Individuals must complete online travel forms prior to travel, including Travel Release Statement and Behavioral Contract. 

7. The Code of Student Conduct and the RSO Handbook apply to all participants during funded travel.

Timeline & Process: Pre-Submission

1. The RSO determines which member(s) are eligible to request funding.

   1. In order to be reviewed, the RSO President or Financial Officer is required to send email verification to the OSL Finance Assistant, [email protected], including the name of RSO and approved member(s) (up to five).

      1. If verification is not received, the review will be delayed and has the potential to be denied.

2. Each RSO member requesting funding is required to upload corresponding travel documentation (screenshots of registration costs, flight, etc.) when submitting their request.

3. Students MUST submit funding requests and receive approval from the Appropriations Funding Board before incurring expenses.

   1. Travel that has already been completed is ineligible. 

   2. REIMBURSEMENTS WILL NOT BE AN OPTION FOR THE WINTER 2024 SEMESTER. 

1. Presentation to the Appropriations Funding Board is not necessary unless contacted for questions by the Student Senate Vice President of Finance.
2. Funding is awarded on an individual basis.  Upon approval, expenses can be paid for by utilizing the credit card in the Office of Student Life.  

It is the responsibility of the organization to cover and pay directly for expenses not eligible and/or not funded through the Student Life Fund. Once a request has been approved, individuals are no longer able to request additional funds for the approved travel.  For this reason, be sure to meticulously review that all costs are accounted for and accurate in your budget before submitting.  

1. Transportation

   1. Eligible items: Car rental (vehicles must be reserved through the Office of Student Life) and tickets for airfare, bus, or train (economy seating only), 1 baggage fee

   2. Individual transportation cannot be requested if RSO is also requesting group transportation for the same trip (i.e. you can recieve funding for a vehicle rental and individual travel for the same trip).

   3. Ineligible items: gas, parking, tolls, any costs associated with upgrading or choosing a seat, WIFI, more than 1 baggage fee, any meals associated with travel, Ubers/Lyfts/Rideshares, taxis, or lodging.

1.  Conference Registration - early bird rate recommended

   1. Registration is ineligible if it includes possibility of competition money earned (group or individual).

2. Food/meals – only if included in the cost of the standard conference registration (no “add on”). Meals provided through transportation (i.e. an in flight meal) at an additional cost are also prohibited.

3. Additional Ineligible Items

   1. Lodging

   2. Souvenirs and leisurely activities including museum and sporting event admission

   3. Gratuity or tips for any aspect of travel

1. Be registered on LakerLink with the required 4 officers and an advisor.

2. Be in good standing (refer to RSO Handbook).

3. Not have a bias selection criteria for membership (i.e. interview process or anything beyond GPA requirement).

1. All requests are recommended to be submitted a minimum of *4 weeks in advance before the date of travel unless otherwise coordinated with the Office of Student Life.  *Utilize the “Timeline for Funding Requests” to be aware when the Appropriations Committee is not in session (e.g. due to semester breaks) as this also impacts the minimum date to submit a request.

2. Presentation to the Appropriations Funding Board is not necessary unless contacted for questions by the Vice President of Finance.

3. RSOs must submit the Group Rental Vehicle funding request to receive confirmation of their vehicle and trip approval.

1. The travel request of the RSO must be related to the mission of the RSO.

2. Beginning Winter 2024 semester we will not be offering delivery to GVSU. All vehicles must be picked up from the Grandville Enterprise or the Enterprise at the Grand Rapids Airport. 

3. The RSO must be traveling domestically (international travel including Canada is prohibited).

4. RSOs can only receive funding for rental vehicles once per academic year with a total cap of $1,000.

5. Vehicle funding requests for retreats, service trips, or immersion trips/tours are subject to additional review and advisor approval with written documentation from the advisor approving the trip. 

6. Any vehicle rental paid for PRIOR to the approval of the funding request (retroactive reimbursement) is ineligible.

7. The Code of Student Conduct and the RSO Handbook apply to all participants during funded travel.

8. Drivers must be approved prior to funding be approved. 

It is the responsibility of the individual and/or organization to cover and pay directly for expenses not eligible and/or not funded through the Student Life Fund. Once a request has been approved, organizations are no longer able to request additional funds for the approved travel.  For this reason, be sure to meticulously review that all costs are accounted for and accurate in your budget before submitting.  

1. Eligible items include

   1. Rental car

   2. Minivan

   3. 12 passenger van (unavailable from Enterprise as of 11/2/2023)

   4. 15 passenger van (unavailable from Enterprise as of 11/2/2023)

2. Ineligible items include

   1. Gas

   2. Parking

   3. Tolls

1. Be registered on LakerLink with the required 4 officers and an advisor.

2. Be in good standing (refer to RSO Handbook).

3. Not have a bias selection criteria for membership (i.e. interview process or anything beyond GPA requirement).

1. All requests are recommended to be submitted a minimum of *4 weeks in advance before the date of travel unless otherwise coordinated with the Office of Student Life.  *Utilize the “Timeline for Funding Requests” to be aware when the Appropriations Committee is not in session (e.g. due to semester breaks) as this also impacts the minimum date to submit a request.

2. Presentation to the Appropriations Funding Board is not necessary unless contacted for questions by the Vice President of Finance.

3. RSOs are encouraged to submit funding requests and receive approval from the Appropriations Funding Board before incurring expenses.

   1. Travel that has already been completed is ineligible. 

   2. If travel has not been completed, RSOs can incur expenses but are not guaranteed funding until reviewed by the Appropriations Funding Board.

1. Organizational Entry Fee/Tournament Fee is to only be used for organizations with a group competition fee, meaning there is no per person fee/rate/option when registering.

2. Ineligible expenses

   1. Individual dues

   2. Annual group dues

   3. RSO retreats

   4. Large groups to attend academic or professional development conferences. Large groups are considered over 5 members. 

   5. Recreation activities (bowling, zoo trips, trampoline parks, museums, etc.)

3. RSOs requesting funds through the Academic Conference Fund (ACF) may not submit a funding request through the Student Life Fund.

4. Registration is ineligible if it includes possibility of competition money earned (group or individual).

5. The Code of Student Conduct and the RSO Handbook apply to all participants during funded travel. 

It is the responsibility of the individual and/or organization to cover and pay directly for expenses not eligible and/or not funded through the Student Life Fund. Once a request has been approved, organizations are no longer able to request additional funds for the approved travel.  For this reason, be sure to meticulously review that all costs are accounted for and accurate in your budget before submitting.