The Undergraduate Student Government
at Michigan Technological University

Purchase Request Guide

Purchase Requests allow your Registered Student Organization to work with Student Activity Fee funding without significant financial liability. All Purchase Requests are handled through Involvement Link and follow a standardized process!


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General Policy and Guidelines

All Registered Student Organization (RSO) officers must understand and follow USG purchase policies. These policies help ensure Student Activity Fee funding benefits students and the university, and that all purchases are properly documented.


Follow your budget. Every Purchase Request must reference a budget line item.

Get approval for changes. Request approval before spending outside your budget.

Document purchases. Follow documentation requirements and use SAF funding to benefit students.


Need to change your budget? Submit a Budget Revision Form.

What Can (and Can't) be Funded

Generally, the Student Activity Fee aims to fund experiences, materials, and opportunities that align towards the interests of all Michigan Tech students. Whether that be for cultural enrichment or political activism, all students should have a chance to aspire to be engaged while on campus.

Items Not Permitted

Food, Candy, Drinks, etc.

(except which has direct cultural, educational, or artistic significance)

Alcohol or other substances

Items that are given away

(Includes T-Shirts, stickers, or anything that is not kept by the RSO)

Salaries for full-time or part-time staff

Donations or political contributions

(Donations made to "purchase" an item are OK)

Awards, prizes, or money to members

Most of the things that you can't spend on shouldn't be on your budget. However, please be aware of these restrictions when purchasing.


We are unable to make exceptions for organizations that purchase these items before seeking reimbursement.

General Timeline of Things

While the timeline for everything is officially determined by the Undergraduate Student Government Treasurer and relayed out to RSO Officers via email, they are generally consistent within a week or two.


The big date(s) to remember are the beginning and end of the fiscal year, which are June 30th and July 1st respectively.


The dates below are taken from 2025-2026's Fiscal Year

7/1

The Fiscal Year begins, and all Registered Student Organizations start using their new budgets. Organizations that indicated their intention in advance will be approved to spend.

4/24

The last normal day to spend out of an RSO's budget unless accommodations were made in advance. This allows the Ways and Means Committee to commit the appropriate resources over the summer. Budget revisions and funding hearings are paused.

6/1

The last day for Advancement requests for exempt organizations.

6/23

The last day for Reimbursement requests for exempt organizations.

Receipt Policy

These are the general expectations for how receipts should be when submitted to the Undergraduate Student Government. As always, different purchases give different pieces of documentation, and we encourage you to reach out with any questions!

What a Receipt SHOULD Contain

A date of purchase on the receipt

An itemized list (with prices) of what is being purchased

A final total dollar amount

A confirmation of payment (cash, card, check, etc.)

What a Receipt CANNOT Be

A receipt must have been submitted within 4 months of the date of purchase shown on the receipt.


An invoice without a proof of payment is not a valid form of receipt, although, it can be used as "part of a receipt"

Types of Purchase Requests

All Purchase Requests are made through Involvement Link, the university's platform for all Registered Student Organizations!

Reimbursement Requests


To get reimbursed after a purchase

1

Make a purchase within your approved budget

2

Collect receipts and all required documentation

3

Submit a Purchase Request through Involvement Link within 4 months of the receipt date. Attach documentation in one combined PDF.

Receive payment by check or direct deposit. No further action is required once documentation is complete.

Advancement Requests


To receive funding before a purchase

1

Get an invoice and submit a Purchase Request through Involvement Link before purchasing.

2

Receive your check and an email from Involvement Link or the USG Treasurer

3

Make your purchase within your approved budget and collect required receipts.

Email receipts to advancementreceipt@mtu.edu within 6 weeks of request approval. Return unused funds to avoid a possible freeze on your organization's funds.

Pay a University Entity


To pay a university department or internal organization without paying out of pocket

1

Get an invoice from the department for the items or services received.

2

Submit the invoice through Involvement Link as a Purchase Request. Your organization does not pay the department directly.

USG coordinates payment to the department. No further action required.

Viewing Your RSO's Current Budget

Use Involvement Link to check your organization’s budget, available funds, and purchase requests. Sign in with your Michigan Tech account and access your organization as an officer.


The Finance Tab


1. Select the gear icon next to your organization's icon on the left menu


2. Under the Organization Tools, select Finance


3. View your purchase requests, or select Accounts and choose an account to see its funding details.

Understanding your Account


Balance - Your budget allocation minus completed transactions.


Encumbered Funds - Funds committed to approved purchases that have not yet been completed.


Available Funds - Funds remaining to spend - your balance minus encumbered funds.

Other Tabs


The Transactions tab shows completed purchases that affect your balance.


The Requests tab shows pending requests that affect your encumbered funds.

Making a Purchase Request for Your RSO

Use the slider to view different steps.

Step 1) Organization Finances

Submit a Purchase Request through Involvement Link to use your organization’s funds for a purchase within your approved budget. The Ways and Means Committee reviews requests for approval.

1. Open your organization's Finance page.


2. Under Create a New Request, select Create Purchase Request


3. Complete the fields below and attach supporting documents.


4. Select Submit Request to send it to the Ways and Means Committee. 


Step 2) Request Details

Subject - A short, clear name for the purchase.


Description - What you're purchasing


Requested Amount -The total funding requested. Ways and Means may adjust this amount.


Categories -The purchase category from your submitted budget.


Account - The account that the funds should come out of. Most RSOs have one account.

Step 3) Additional Information

Request Type: Choose Reimbursement, Advancement, or Pay a University Entity. Use Pay a University Entity for payments to another Michigan Tech department or organization.

Budget Line Item: Enter the line number from your submitted budget that matches the purchase.

Receipts / Invoices / Estimates: Attach the documents required for your request type. Combine multiple documents for related purchases into one PDF, and follow the receipt guidelines above.



Finally, click the Submit Request button at the bottom of the page to submit your purchase request to the Ways and Means Committee!

Responding to Ways and Means Feedback

If the committee needs more information, a member will contact you through email or the request’s comments. Respond promptly so your request can move forward.

Requests must meet documentation requirements and receive approval before payment.

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.