Student Club Funding Request

To request funding for expenses related to a covered event the following needs to be submitted to the School of Business Student Services Committee at least 6 weeks before the funds are needed:

• A brief statement to explain the planned event or activity. This statement should describe how the event/activity advances the club’s goals, and how the purchased items would be used. Your funding request must be for an event or activity that is in line with your club’s mission.
• A letter of support from your club’s faculty advisor. In the letter, the faculty advisor must express their support for holding the event or activity and briefly explain how this event or activity helps your club achieve its goals.
• An itemized budget. List all the items that you want to purchase as well as each item’s price. You will be asked to submit this information in your funding request. As a tax-exempt institution the University does not pay sales tax and therefore your budget should not include funds to cover sales taxes. Some categories that you might be requesting funding for are handled directly through the university and does not involve sales tax:  1) Catering for food/snacks (university catering order) 2) items you can purchase on Amazon (Amazon tax exempt business account – through Lori Murray in the Dean’s office).  Outside vendors for other items might require the university’s tax-exempt form.  Please contact Lori in the Dean’s office if needed.
• A flyer/poster/brochure. The flyer/poster/brochure should outline the event details (i.e., date).

After you prepare the above, you can submit the funding request:

• Fill out this Google form
• Be sure to answer all questions. The last question (event documentation) is where you can attach flyers, brochures, details of a conference that the club is interested in attending, or other materials supporting how the event or activity will advance the club’s goals.
• Click submit.
• The Student Services Committee will review your application and if approved forward to the School of Business Dean’s office for final approval. This could take up to six weeks, so be sure to submit at least 6 weeks before funds are needed. The committee may decide to:
  • Approve your request and forward it to the Dean’s office for final approval
  • Reach out to you for further information about your request before making a decision
  • Deny your request, explaining in writing the reasons for denial

Once a request is approved, the club and its faculty advisor will be notified by the Dean’s Office.

Congratulations! Your club’s request has been approved. Depending on the type of request, your club will receive instructions on how to best purchase or be reimbursed. In some cases, the Dean’s Office will work with your club to make the requested purchases via the university’s credit card (p-card). In other cases, like travel, club member(s) would work with the Dean’s Office on a reimbursement process through Workday.

As a rule, all reimbursements must include a receipt – a PDF or picture of the receipt(s) should be sent to Lori Murray in the Dean’s Office for processing. Note that Montclair State University is tax exempt, so any sales tax paid is not eligible for reimbursement.

If you have questions about the purchasing/reimbursement process, please read the FAQ included in this document. If your question(s) remain after reviewing the FAQ, you can email the chair(s) of the Student Services Committee (currently Dr. Gabriel Gonzales and Dr. Maysam Rabbani) for additional guidance.

Note: Reimbursements are not retroactive, meaning that you CANNOT make your purchases before approval with the hope of getting approved and reimbursed later. Such requests will be denied.

• What items and purchases can be reimbursed?
  • All purchases need to comply with university reimbursement procedures. Reimbursement typically covers travel costs, registration fees, and costs of meals (reimbursed at the university per-diem rate) or items needed for a club event held on campus. Non-event purchases will be considered on a case-by-case basis depending on the need for an item and how it would advance the club’s mission.
• Can a club request reimbursement after making a purchase?
  • No. Reimbursements are not retroactive, meaning that you can get reimbursed ONLY for approved purchases that occur ON or AFTER the date of approval of your fund request.
• What if prices change? What if we have to purchase a different product?
  • If you have an approved funding request and the amount requested needs to be increased, please notify Lori Murray in the Dean’s office and copy both the Student Services Committee chair(s) and your faculty advisor. In this email, you should explain why there is a difference in price so the Dean’s office can determine if the increased funding is approved.
• I don’t know the price of some of the items. How much should I request?
  • Prices change frequently, and the University may be limited to certain vendors for purchasing some items. For this reason, it is recommended you research the costs associated with your funding request and work with your faculty advisor to help determine costs associated with your club’s proposal. Find more than one supplier/vendor for the item(s) requested if possible, and request an amount in line with the average price you encounter.
  • Note that the Student Services Committee may notify submitters and ask for clarification if the requested amount appears to be inappropriate for the purposes described in the application.
• What happens if the actual cost is either below or above proposal?
  • If actual cost is below estimate, the club will be reimbursed only for the actual cost.  If the cost is higher, contact Lori Murray in the Dean’s Office to determine if the extra cost can be approved.
• How long before the event should I submit the fund request?
  • There is no limit on how early you can apply.
  • The Student Services Committee meets once per month during the academic year. As the proposal will also be reviewed by the Dean’s office, it is highly recommended that you submit your proposal 6 weeks before your club’s event.