Student government seeks funds

The funding would greatly increase the YSU student association’s ability to fund student requests.

By Harold Gwin

YOUNGSTOWN — Youngstown State University’s Student Government Association has voted 21-0 to ask the university board of trustees to place a $1-per-credit-hour fee per semester on all students beginning next fall.

The money would be used by SGA to fund student organizations and individual student academic requests for assistance.

A draft resolution of the proposal was presented to the SGA membership earlier this month, and Monday’s vote puts the issue in the hands of the trustees.

It has generated some debate on campus, and there were reports that one student created a Web page to rally opposition.

However, no one showed up at Monday’s meeting to protest the plan, and it passed with little debate.

The fee would be capped at $12 for undergraduate students and $9 for graduate students and could generate about $306,000 a year based on current enrollment numbers.

As it stands now, SGA gets only $31,000 from the university to fund student-organization requests.

That’s not nearly enough to meet the demand, according to SGA, which reports that annual requests total about $150,000.

Getting more money into the appropriations budget would allow SGA to fund more organizations and expand its financial aid to include individual students seeking help with academic requests such as conferences or research presentations, according to Zachary Brown, SGA president. The trustees could approve a lesser fee, if they wish, he said.

SGA would like to see the fee included as part of a tuition increase it expects the trustees to enact for next school year rather than have it imposed as a separate fee.

Scott Schulick, president of the board of trustees, said it will be up to SGA to sell the fee idea to the student body. If widespread support is evident, the trustees would likely approve it, he said.

Daniel DeMaiolo, a YSU student trustee and SGA representative, advised the membership to get their constituents involved to show that support for the fee goes beyond just SGA.

“Our work isn’t done here,” said Abbie Twyford, SGA executive vice president. The job of winning student support is just beginning, she said, adding, “We have to take this to the next level.”

gwin@vindy.com