Hey Northeastern, let’s talk. Specifically, let’s talk about money. Your money. I know it’s October and if you’re anything like me, you’ve spent a great amount of time going over your e-bill, trying to figure out what all these different charges are and how you’ll ever get a decent enough job with your social sciences degree to pay back your loans. While I don’t have an answer to the latter point yet, I’d like to help you out a bit with the former point. I’m here to talk to you about the Student Activity Fee — what it is and why you’re paying it.

The Student Activity Fee (SAF) is a fee charged to all undergraduate students once per year, at a cost of $116 per student. Once the fee is collected, it is pooled into a large fund, which is then dispersed to student groups. Organizations like CUP, WRBB, NUTV and SGA receive an annual budget, which allow for their services to be provided year round. Are you going to be one of the first on campus to pick up the new issue of Tastemakers or the NU Science Magazine? This is all thanks to the SAF.

The SAF is also is the source of funding for most of the events you attend on campus. Did you see Bob Saget perform at Kappa Sigma’s Comedy Night last month? Are you planning on going to the Homecoming Comedy Show in November or Springfest in April? Well, those three are just some of the many, many events that are funded by your SAF. So far this year, 73 events have been funded spanning the months of September through November. Of those 73, 68 of them are provided at no cost to undergraduate students!

Now, the next question is “How is this money allocated?” Well, that’s the great part. It is the only fee on campus that is student controlled. Students initiated the fee back in 1981. Students determine the amount the fee should be set at. Students allocate it. Best of all, the fund is only available to students. The Finance Board is a committee established by the Student Government Association (SGA). The Finance Board consists of a maximum of 13 voting members – six senators, six students-at-large, and the director of the Student Activities Business Office (SABO) – and is chaired by the comptroller, an elected position within SGA. The board allocates money based upon the procedures outlined within the SAF Policies Manual, which can be found on SGA’s website.

Now, I know what you’re saying, “How does the average student see where my money is going?” Plainly put, we have to juggle confidentiality with transparency. Contracts take forever to process at NU, and the last thing we want complicating the process is rumor that a group is looking to bring a certain performer that hasn’t been approved yet. However, what we do is release a condensed summary ten days after each meeting. This summary contains who presented, how much they requested, how much they were funded and the reasons for any difference between those two numbers. Additionally, once per month (starting with October), we release the full Spending Data. This data includes group, event, requested amount, funded amount, attendance, amount spent and actual cost per student. It’s your money; you need to see how it was spent.

I encourage you to be active on campus. Go to one of the 70+ events we’ve funded — that you paid for. Get your money’s worth out of this school. Take a free t-shirt or two. If you’re a member of an organization, get involved. Have a cool idea for an event? Take initiative and make it happen. If you need any help, the Finance Board is here to help you. We’re students just like you.

If you ever have any questions about the SAF or the Finance Board, please feel free to contact me at [email protected].

– Anthony Golia is the comptroller for the Student Government Association and chair of the Student Finance Board.