Carnegie Mellon University

Special Allocations Funds

The GSA Finance Committee reviews requests for special allocations of GSA funds and makes recommendations to the general GSA body. The main purpose of these funds is to support initiatives or events which significantly impact graduate students. Read below to find out more information. Contact our VP of Finance if you have questions.

In order to request funding, an organization or individual must submit it's budget to the Finance Committee at least two weeks before the committee's next meeting, fill out the application (go the the bridge, login, click campus links on the bottom right of the page, click funding common application), and then attend that meeting. The Finance Committee will give its recommendation to the organization and the GSA, the Friday before the GSA Representatives meeting.

Any group or representative wishing to appeal the committee's recommendation must do so in the next two days, on Monday before 5 pm.  The VP of Finance will then communicate any appeals to the both the GSA Representatives and any organizations involved at least 24 hours prior to the GSA Reps meeting and the appeal will be voted on at the GSA meeting.

If there is no appeal, then the funding is processed at the Finance Committee's recommendation.  If there is an appeal, then the funding is processed at the level passed by representatives.

In order to determine the amount given to a group through Special Allocations, the following three standards are used:

  • Audience - Special Allocations are to be given for groups or events that have large graduate student audience.
  • Additional Funding - Additional funding should be sought for any purpose that Special Allocation funding is requested for.  In particular, Special Allocations are not a supplement for a JFC budget.
  • Previous Special Allocation Funding - Special Allocation funding is not intended to be a consistent source of funding, so preference will be given to new events.