The Undergraduate Student Government is budgeted $40,000 this year to use for stipends and collaborations.

Sophomore Ebonee Johnson is the treasurer for USG and is in charge of handling the budget for the year.

“A large part of the budget goes to stipends,” Johnson said, “but we are trying to use a lot for promotions and collaborations with other University initiations.”

Some of the collaborations planned into the budget include sponsors and partners.

“We are sponsoring Dance Marathon, partnering with Dining Services for Student Appreciation Week and sponsoring MLK Day,” Johnson said. “That is the second biggest part of our budget.”

Stipends pay for services to the organization, Johnson said.

“They are for our President, Vice-President, Speaker and Chief-Administrator,” she said. “The stipends go to their bursar accounts.”

Even with the collaborations and stipends planned, there are still $10,000 left to be budgeted.

“We are trying to find other University initiatives to partner with,” Johnson added.

The budget is about the same as last year and comes from a different source than other student organizations, she said.

“They receive their budgets from funds allocated from the Student Budget Committee at annual funding,” Johnson said. “We get our budget from a whole different set of money.”

The University allocates the money to USG, she said.

Two meetings from today, USG will be voting to keep the budget like it is or to change it.

“I think they’ll approve it,” Johnson said. “Most of our funds are to help others. I think senators are excited to reach out to the student body.”