FAQ
Q: Where and when do I check to see how much my group was funded?
A: Funding decisions can be found on TerrierCentral. If you click on your student organization, you will find the finance tab, and from there, you can click on funding requests and press on the specific request you submitted. Here you will find our funding decisions for the events you requested funds for. We try to meet as soon as possible after the funding deadline but it will still take several weeks for our funding decisions to be posted on TerrierCentral.
Q: How will I know when Semester Budget Requests are due?
A: Usually, AB and SAO will send out an email with a timeline of important dates and deadlines throughout the semester to keep you informed of anything you need to know to request funds from AB. AB sends out a monthly newsletter to all organizations to keep them updated on any AB-related news.
Q: How do I join the Allocations Board?
A: Applicants to the Allocations Board must be full-time undergraduate students in good academic, financial, and judicial standing with Boston University. Applicants must fill out an Allocations Board application form, which can be found on our website or our instagram.
Q: My group wants to have food at our event. Is this something that AB funds?
A: Our policy states that we will consider funding food if it provides a unique and educational component relevant to your group’s event. We will further consider funding if the food supplements religious or cultural aspects of your group’s mission.
Q: How can I get in touch with the Allocations Board?
A: AB holds office hours every other week. If you’d like to come, please sign up through this link. Also, please feel free to email us at allocate@bu.edu.
Q: I do not agree with the amount we were allocated. Is there a way for me to explain why we are looking for more funding?
A: Of course! We are more than happy to listen to reasons that may not have been fully illustrated in the requests. We offer an appeals process for Semester Budget requests ONLY. Student organizations must use the AB-provided appeals spreadsheet and fill it out according to the instructions specified on the spreadsheet, failure to use this spreadsheet will result in an automatic denial of the appeal. The club will be funded according to the second funding decision made by the Board. The second decision is final, and another appeal will not be permitted. Please refer to our Bylaws for more details regarding our Appeals Process.
Q: What is the Special Initiative Program and how can I submit a Special Initiative Request?
A: The Special Initiative Program debuted with the introduction of the semesterly hearings, and this program allows student groups to submit funding requests during the academic year for events that were unforeseeable when semester budget requests were submitted. You submit a Special Initiative Request the same way you submit a semester budget request except we ask that you label the request a Special Initiative Request and explain why it qualifies for the Special Initiative program.
Q: Do you fund travel?
A: Domestic travel costs are up for consideration on a case-by-case basis. These requests are only for Semester Budget requests. If unexpected expenses arise you may request transportation funds in a Special Initiative request. Please check our funding guidelines for more information.
Q: Who can we speak to if we have any questions during the funding request process?
A: You can contact your AB advisor if you have any questions while going through the funding process. They will be to answer your question the fastest, and they will regularly communicate with you during the academic year. If they can’t answer your question, feel free to stop by at office hours or email us at allocate@bu.edu.
*Please keep in mind, that we are responsible for allocating the Community Service Fee to over 500 student groups and countless programs each year, and we allocate on an event-by-event basis.