Student Initiated Fee

Authority

Per the 2022 Student Fee Board Handbook, Section 6.2.1: Campus allocation committees are granted the authority by the SFB to allocate Student Fee funds for all requests related to student activities, recreation, and services (with the exception of those established by the CFB) at each of the Commonwealth campuses. The activities portion of the fee includes, but is not limited to, student organizations recognized by the University, college, or department, affiliate organizations, and University units. Activities allocations will be pursuant to the campus allocation committee handbook and local/federal/state law. All local boards, can follow their local policies, seeing that they do not conflict with CFB operating procedure or SFB policy (Student Fee Board Handbook, 2022).

Student Fee Allocation Membership

The Student Fee Allocation Committee (SFAC) shall consist of:

• SGA President (co-chair)*
• 7 Student Appointees
• Director of Student Affairs or designee (co-chair)
• 1 Staff Member**
• 1 Faculty Member**
• Business Services Representative**

*In the event of a tied vote, the ruling will go the direction of the chair’s vote (SGA President)
** Non-voting committee members
 

Purpose

The Student Activities Fund (SAF) is a fund that every registered student at Penn State Harrisburg pays into, as part of the fees collected with tuition. The purpose of the SAF is to provide students with funds to enhance their co-curricular campus experience while enrolled at Penn State Harrisburg.

Per the 2022 Student Fee Board Handbook, Section 2.1: Activities funding enhances the student out-of-class experiences including programming, travel, equipment, and media publication. The primary use for activities funds is to enhance the campus climate through student-initiated programming, activities, and experiences. Student activities educate, entertain, and/or engage students outside of academic requirements.

About SAF Funding Requests

Funding requests are made by submitting a proposal to the Student Fee Allocation Committee. The Student Fee Allocation Committee is responsible for reviewing and voting on the proposals, recommending or requiring stipulations, and allocating activity monies consistent with the purpose of the fee, as described above. Applicants are required to review the Penn State Harrisburg Student Initiated Fee Handbook before submitting a proposal. 
 

Purpose

The Student Facilities Fund (SFF) is a fund that every registered student at Penn State Harrisburg pays into as part of the fees collected with tuition. The purpose of the SFF is to provide students with the funds to enhance or improve the Penn State Harrisburg infrastructure by making improvements and expansions of non-academic, recreational, and multi-use spaces for students. 

Per the 2022 Student Fee Board Handbook, Section 2.2: Facilities funding enhances the student out-of-class experience by supporting both large-scale and small-scale infrastructure projects primarily intended for student use or benefit. Large-scale projects include facility development through building and/or renovating university facilities intended for student out-of-class use. Small-scale projects can include, but are not limited to, student-requested enhancement/increase of existing resources, support of facilities for recognized student organizations, campus beautification and memorial projects, and the purchase of equipment designed for a student facility. 

About SFF Funding Requests

Funding requests are made by submitting a proposal to the Student Fee Allocation Committee. The  SFAC is responsible for reviewing and voting on the proposals, recommending or requiring stipulations, and allocating facility monies consistent with the purpose of the fee, as described above. SFF projects may also require approval from the following: Office of Physical Plant, Director of Student Affairs, Chancellor, and/or Vice President of Student Affairs. Applicants are required to review the Penn State Harrisburg Student Initiated Fee Handbook before submitting a proposal. 
*A campus should make every effort to explore additional sources of financial support for any proposed capital expansion project, to assist in minimizing fees charged to students. 
 

Please note: This guide is just an overview to help you get started. You are responsible for reviewing the information and tools provided in Engage. Ultimately, the SFAC is responsible for the decisions on your funding request

1. Generate an idea 
   • Come up with an idea that will benefit students and/or campus infrastructure
2. View the Round Schedule to establish timeline
   • RSOs must submit at least six weeks in advance of the proposed event date
   • Round Schedule can be found on this website or SIF Helpful Resources folder.
3. Review required resources
   • Review the SIF Handbook and the SIF Tip Sheet (both at same link as above)
4. Plan your event/trip details, keeping SIF deadlines in mind
   • Be detailed in your explanation, so that others may understand your vision/plans
   • Obtain valid quotes (see Handbook section 5.3.2) 
   • Reminder: Some purchases, such as entertainment vendors and bus charters, must be done through Penn State’s authorized vendors
   • Refer to Handbook and Tip Sheet, as appropriate
5. Submit your SAF/SFF Proposal through the respective form in Engage
6. Await Verdict
   • Watch your PSU email for the outcome of your proposal
   • Next steps will be detailed in your verdict email
   • Be sure to complete all Funding Recipient tasks (attached to/included in verdict email) and respond to communications from the SIF office

The amount of funding requested from SAF is likely to exceed the amount available for allocation each academic year. With that in mind, the following considerations are offered to help you maximize your potential for receiving funds.

Your Audience Matters!
Fee funds, by policy, should be invested in programming that is open to all campus students. If your proposal is approved, it will be posted to Engage by the SIF team and any/every student will have the opportunity to RSVP/participate.

Plan Ahead!
Don’t wait until the final days to submit your proposal! Proposals must be received by the deadline and each round will close at 12:00pm (noon) on its closing date. Extensions will not be granted.

Show us Your Money!
While the SIF team is committed to supporting out-of-classroom experiences, please understand that SIF simply cannot fully fund every event, program, trip, etc.—demand exceeds available resources. When you are planning your event and drafting your proposal, give serious thought to ways that your organization can invest in the proposed event/program/trip/etc. We strongly encourage our RSOs to hold fundraisers to help support their events.

Work with our Partners!
Don’t forget - if you’re purchasing any items that have Penn State/Penn State Harrisburg text or images, you must work with a licensed vendor. Likewise, certain purchases (like entertainment vendors or bus charters) will require you to work with one of Penn State’s approved vendors. 
 

SIF Resources & Handbook on Engage

At the time of the creation of the Student Fee Board, the University charged three Student Fees in addition to tuition Technology Fee, the Student Facilities, and the Student Activity Fee (Student Fee Board Handbook, 2022).

Beginning in the 2017-2018 academic year, the Student Activity Fund (SAF) and Student Facilities Fund (SFF) were combined into one Student Fee called the Student Initiated Fee.

The purpose of the fee is to enhance the out-of-class, non-credit-bearing experience at the campus based on identified student needs. The following principles guide the use of the fee monies:

• Students should control the collection and utilization of their Student Fee dollars under the authority of the University President
• Generally, revenue raised should remain at the campus where it is collected; however, multi-campus initiatives are permitted with the approval of the appropriate fee board(s)
• Student Fee revenue should supplement, and not replace, current University funding to programs and services
• The Student Fee will not be folded into general tuition funds
• The Campus Allocation Committee will allocate funds collected at each campus
• A Student Fee may only increase/decrease with the approval of the designated fee board
• The use of this fee should be public knowledge and actively reported to students. Meeting and official business of the Student Fee Board shall be open to the student body