The Undergraduate Student Government
at Michigan Technological University

Opportunity & Reserve Fund

The Student Activity Fee funds always remain student-owned money through the Opportunity and Reserve Funds. As Registered Student Organizations do not have budgets that carryover, all funds are rolled over into the extra funds that enable RSOs to achieve more than their given budget!


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Requesting Rules for Each Fund

The Undergraduate Student Government Bylaws institutes restrictions on what the Opportunity and Reserve Funds must be used for. This is so that we can keep extra funding fair across all organizations. It is important to note that while the Undergraduate Student Government reviews all requests, we do not directly benefit from the fund.


Remember, each Registered Student Organization is entitled to ONE Opportunity Fund and ONE Reserve Fund request in a fiscal year!

Opportunity Fund Usage

As given by the name, the Opportunity Fund should be used primarily for new opportunities for Registered Student Organizations that did not appear during the budget hearings process.


The Opportunity Fund also applies to new organizations that were unable to request a budget during Budget Hearings and any organizations that demonstrate a significant cost increase in one of their events.

Prohibited Use Cases

The Opportunity Fund cannot be used for any item listed on an RSO's Fiscal Year budget unless the RSO can demonstrate that a significant cost increase has occurred.


The Opportunity Fund cannot be used for anything outside of the normal permitted spending for the SAF budgets.


The Opportunity Fund typically CANNOT retroactively fund requests after they are paid for. All requests must be made well in advance.

Example 1: New Opportunity

The National Broomball Team unexpectedly makes the championships, and does not have the budget to expense the trip. The Opportunity Fund could cover part of the cost.

Example 2: New Organization

The Pillow Fighting Club at Michigan Tech becomes an official Registered Student Organization and needs mid-year budget to purchase pillows! The Opportunity Fund could help fund "start-up" costs for the RSO!

Reserve Fund Usage

The Reserve Fund is used for many other things, including Registered Student Organization equipment replacement / safety equipment, campus initiatives, and campus improvements!

Use it for Equipment Costs!

The Reserve Fund is primarily used for Registered Student Organization equipment replacement, procurement, or emergency repair. Generally, equipment age, cost, necessity, and lasting are taken into consideration.

Campus Initiatives Thrive Through the Reserve Fund

All campus initiatives go through the Reserve Fund, where significant funding is available to help carry-out larger-scale projects for the benefit of the Student Assembly and all Registered Student Organizations.


Some notable projects in the past are the Tax-Exempt Reserve Fund Initiative (providing all RSOs with an opportunity to become "tax-exempt") and the Cycle Project across campus!

The Lifecycle of a Request

All requests are very similar in how they proceed throughout the Undergraduate Student Government. We are unable to make significant changes to this process due to this procedure being regulated by our Bylaws, and we ask that all organizations plan in advance!

The Process After You Request

First, the USG Treasurer will bring your request to the Ways and Means Committee during their weekly meeting, and the committee will review the materials associated with your request. Your organization will be expected to give a short pitch about your request at the meeting (which will take 15 minutes maximum) before discussing the request and making a recommendation.


You are welcome to bring anyone in the organization along with you (within reason). We recommend having around 2-3 people in the room representing your organization. While we do recommend that Executive Board members are present, students involved in the club can also be included!

We'll Make an Allocation and Present it to USG

Once the Ways and Means Committee has understood your request, we will discuss privately and make a recommendation to the Undergraduate Student Government body. This recommendation is based off of a number of factors, but we do consider the opportunity / emergency itself, the impact that it would have to your members and the campus, and existing opportunities that your organization has.


The Ways and Means Committee will then bring up the recommendation in New Business to the General Body, and normally after 1 week of deliberation and waiting, the body will vote on the recommendation.

How Do I Advocate for Myself?

At the meeting where the General Body votes on the recommendation, you are encouraged to attend and speak about your request by sitting in the public gallery. The USG Secretary will notify you of the details of the timeline after a recommendation has been made.

usg@mtu.edu

(906) 487-2406

The Undergraduate Student Government is a Special Budgetary Group of Michigan Technological University. The Undergraduate Student Government's website is hosted on Michigan Tech property, and any and all logos that contain the Michigan Tech brand are owned by the university itself.