Policies and Procedures Manual

Chapter 3: Student Affairs

03:04:00   Student Activity Fee

Related Policies and Guidelines

TBR Guideline B-060 Fees, Charges, Refunds, and Fee Adjustments 

NeSCC Policy 06:40:00 Student Activity Fee Committee

Policy

Northeast State Community College shall collect a student activity fee from each student, per semester. Fees help support student-centered programming and are disbursed based on current revenue, student impact, and mission of the College. Funds collected shall be used to

  1. Facilitate student access to services;
  2. Assist student activities, student organizations/clubs, and student advocacy programs by providing funding for student success programming; or
  3. Supplement the College budget to increase the institution’s ability to deliver high-impact services to students.

Appropriation 

Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) approved student activity fees shall be collected from each student, per semester. A percentage of the collected funds shall be appropriated for use through Program Allocations as determined annually by the President. Remaining funds shall be allocated, at the discretion of the President, to facilitate the delivery of high-impact services to students.

Allocations

 Funds appropriated for this purpose may be allocated to areas such as

  1. Student Activities
  2. Student Organizations/Clubs and Advocacy
  3. Performing and Visual Arts
  4. Graduation
  5. Institutional Honors
  6. Other areas within the scope of this policy

Disbursements are subject to change. Reserve funds, including any carryover amounts, may be used to implement additional student-centered programs, to fund non-recurring student-centered initiatives, or to provide staff support within the Program Allocations at the discretion of the Vice President for Institutional Excellence and Student Success with the President's approval.

Student Activity Fee Committee

The Student Activity Fee Committee reviews requests and makes recommendations for the disbursement of funds to student organizations/clubs and advocacy programs for specific populations within the student body.  

Allocation Requirements 

All requisitions for purchases, travel authorizations and claims, petty cash requests, bookstore charges, and receipts for all purchased items must be submitted to and approved by the Vice President for Institutional Excellence and Student Success to ensure accurate accounting of student activity fees allocated to student organizations/clubs or advocacy programs. Allocations to student organizations/clubs and advocacy programs are subject to all fiscal policies and procedures of the College.

Requestors shall utilize a Request for Student Activity Fee Allocation form when submitting funding requests.

Allocation shall be based on the following criteria:

  1. No funds shall be used to finance instructional activities, charitable causes, or partisan political activities. Northeast State prohibits the expenditure of allocated student activity fees on charitable causes that include, but are not limited to, monetary or item donations to an individual or individuals.
  2. Student activity fees shall not be used to finance, support, or influence voting on any issue currently on a College, local government, state government, or federal government election ballot. In addition, such funds shall not be used in any manner to influence public opinion or legislation.
  3. The College shall not deny students activity fee funding to a student organization/club based on the viewpoints that the student organization/club advocates.
  4. Student activity fees shall not be for individual use or to establish petty cash funds.
  5. If any program funded in whole or in part by student activity fees yields a net profit, that net profit must be returned to the student activity fee fund. Under no circumstances shall any profit from a program funded in whole or in part by student activity fees be donated to any individual, student organization/club, or advocacy program.
  6. All materials promoting activities receiving student activity fee funds must clearly state the sources of the funds.
  7. All ticket sales for a program funded in whole or in part by student activity fees must be coordinated through Student Life.
  8. Each student organization/club or advocacy program must annually complete a program evaluation and expenditure report and submit it to Director of Student Life by April 30.
  9. Any student organization/club or advocacy group that is funded by the Student Activity Fee Committee found to have abused or misapplied student activity fees may be ineligible for any further allocations of funds during the remaining portion of the current funding year.
  10. No more than fifty percent (50%) of a specific travel request may be expended using student activity fees, unless otherwise approved by the President of the College.
  11. Meals per diem associated with travel will not be reimbursed from student activity fees, unless otherwise approved by the President of the College.
  12. All eligible student organizations/clubs and advocacy programs receiving funds from the student activity fee are subject to the regulations and auditing procedures set forth by Northeast State policies and procedures and those of the Tennessee Board of Regents.


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Divisional Review Responsibilities Checklist: Institutional Excellence and Student Success

Revision History: April 2014; Revised: Jan. 2015; Revised July 2019; Revised June 2021