As part of its annual recommendation to the board of trustees, the Student Government Association (SGA) will suggest a $10 per year increase of the student activities fee. 

The student activities fee, currently $160 per year, makes up the SGA pool account and is distributed to campus organizations through the financial advisory board process, in which an organization applies for funding from the SGA. Leftover money not allocated to student groups is given throughout the year as organizations appeal for additional funding. 

According to Adriana Guida, SGA chief justice, the activities fee has not increased for several years. At an ad hoc meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday to discuss a recommendation for the Board of Trustees, Guida said the SGA has always had enough money in its account to give to organizations that appeal, and he acknowledged that there has been an rise in the number of students enrolled at Emerson, thus increasing the money given to the SGA. 

“Based on those numbers, we are not in danger of not having enough money to do the big things that students want to do,” the senior said. 

SGA President Tau Zaman said at the meeting he is worried the pool account may run out this year. There is currently $53,433 in the account and at least six organizations appealing for funds in the coming weeks, according to Tanya Flink, the SGA treasurer. 

To prevent organizations from appealing as often as they do, Flink recommended a $5 increase per semester, which she said would allow for additional funds to be given to student groups at the beginning of the year. 

Other SGA members echoed Zaman and Flink’s concerns and agreed that an increase to the student activities fee would be beneficial to all campus organizations. 

“With the amount of new orgs we have seen come in, there will probably be more, and a slight increase [in funds] would be helpful,” said Chris Hyacinthe, class of 2012 senator. 

Flink made the motion to increase the fee, and all voting members present approved the recommendation.