Over the past semester, nearly 100 students and clubs have received a grant from ASBSU. These funds have helped ensure that our students can do everything from travel to academic conferences, hold cultural celebrations, and enter engineering competitions. However, some students have faced challenges in requesting funding. We have heard the feedback from students and club officers, and are aware that the student organization Event Planning and Purchasing Timelines are making it strenuous for them to plan events and get approved for grant funding. As the new semester begins, we want to share some information about why the Event Timelines are so long, and how students and clubs can set themselves up for success this spring.
First, the timelines are not set by ASBSU. Instead, they are established by Shared Business Services (SBS)–a group of staff who do all of the paperwork and processing when a grant has been approved. But SBS also has to collaborate with numerous other offices around campus to complete this work. Due to staffing shortages in these offices, as well as an increased number of students and clubs requesting funding, there is increased strain on SBS.
Helping students have a fun and meaningful experience at Boise State is one of our top priorities. We have made the University aware of the issue, and are currently working on potential solutions. We have so far reduced the timeline for Individual Student Grants, and hope to shorten the other timelines as well.
For those who are planning to request funding, grant applications for the spring semester will close on March 10th, 2025. The last date for grant hearings will be on March 24th. Grants are funded on a first come, first served basis, so if you or your student organization are seeking funding for the spring semester, please submit your grant requests soon!
Please also note that ASBSU will not be able to fund any events that are happening after June 1st due to the fiscal year transition. If you have any questions about funding timelines or grant requests, please reach out to asbsufunding@boisestate.edu.