The Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate passed a resolution on Sunday to create a $5,000 fund to assist students, who are on financial aid and in TCU-recognized organizations, with the cost of off-campus excursions.
When student organizations attend conferences or competitions currently, TCU subsidizes part of the cost, but requires all participating members pay between $50 and $100, according to TCU Treasurer Adam Kochman, a sophomore. The Senate regularly evaluates groups, and their events, to determine how much monetary support they receive, according to TCU President Joe Thibodeau.
"The costs are food, lodging, transportation and registration for a conference," Thibodeau, a senior, said. "In light of all those factors, our allocations board will hear a group's request and from there will tabulate a personal contributions number, looking at [the] big picture of the conference, who's going [and] what the costs are."
The personal contributions have been necessary to encourage groups to invest in their event, and in order for the Senate to cover the large number of groups and events that request funding, according to Thibodeau.
But some students have difficulty affording this contribution, Thibodeau said.
"The reality is that there are students at Tufts who can totally pay that personal contribution and there are students who can't," he said. "Though it's been with the best intentions and it's been following procedure, it can be an economic barrier that stands in the way of people fully participating in their student activities which are such an integral part of the student experience at Tufts."
Kochman explained that the Senate created this fund to help alleviate some students' financial burden.
Only students who are Tufts grant recipients, as part of their financial aid package will be eligible for this fund. According to the resolution, The Office of Student Affairs allocates these grants. Around 40 percent of the student body will meet eligibility requirements, according to Thibodeau.
"When we created this fund ... we recognized that there are students who are in need, but who aren't on financial aid," he said. "We hope that this fund will be successful so that its scope and parameters can be expanded in the future and this can be something that a lot of different students can apply for and have access to."
The Senate will launch the fund as a three-year pilot program to evaluate its use. If money goes unused, it will be returned to Senate's accounts, according to Kochman.
"We do hope and we do think that demand will be high because we've seen that personal contributions have been issues for individual members of groups in the past," he said. "If it's not used, future senates can stop it. It's really a low-risk, high-reward situation for the Senate and Tufts community as a whole."
The success of the fund will depend on how people access it and how many people use it, Thibodeau said.
"I think that this is a positive step and a recognition that your financial need extends beyond paying for your tuition that's covered by financial aid," Thibodeau said. "This is something to really promote access and inclusion and equity on campus so that all students can really fully participate and take advantage of their student experience here at Tufts."
According to Kochman, the Senate has not yet determined the number of times people may apply for assistance and the maximum amount that they can receive.
The money will most likely come from the Senate's budget, which is paid for by the Student Activities Fee, Kochman said. This $298 fee is included in the tuition of all students.
