Student Activities Account Funds Rules

This page outlines general rules that concern Student Activities Account Funds.

1. Structural and Procedural Requirements
   • In order to access any funding, each organization must have a current treasurer on file with the Student Budget Office.
     1. Unless the elected Secretary of Student Council or acting in their capacity as a direct employee of the Student Budget Committee, the treasurer must be a freshman, sophomore, or junior currently enrolled at Swarthmore College.
     2. The treasurer may not study abroad during the duration of his/her term.
     3. The treasurer is personally responsible for all of the organization's expenditures and can be subjected to fines and/or charges by the Student Budget Office for overdrawing an account and/or subcode or allowing monies to be spent in a way that violates legal statues or these rules.
     4. The treasurer must keep records of his/her organization's spending and pass those records to the next treasurer.
     5. The treasurer is responsible for drafting and presenting any proposals (including Spring Budgeting proposals) to SBC.
   • When an organization overdraws an account or subcode, no further transactions can be made until the account is brought to balance or other arrangements are made with SBC.
   • Money must be spent for the purpose for which it was allocated in accordance with the current SBC subcode definitions. Money cannot be transferred between subcodes w/o the prior approval of SBC.
2. General Spending Regulations
   • SBC does not fund retroactively.
   • SAA funds cannot be used to financially support a political party or candidate for public office or for direct donations to religious establishments or charities except out of the Income subcode.
   • All expenditures must comply with local, state, and federal laws.
   • Money cannot be spent on the purchase of alcohol, tobacco, or any similarly controlled substance.
   • Payments to students for services must be made in accordance with SEO Guidelines.
   • Fraud or attempts at fraud are immediate grounds for individual fines, legal and/or College Judiciary charges, and the indefinite freezing of an organization's budget.
   • SAA money is not available for spending on conference costs except out of the Income subcode. Such funding is handled by the Dean's office.
   • Unless funded by SBC as a Group Event or Closed Event, all events using SAA money must be open to the entire student body and a good faith effort must be made to publicize each event. Group Events may be limited to group members and Closed Events may be limited to members and/or potential members as described by the terms of exclusivity in the group's charter.
   • Treasurers not directly employed by the Student Budget Committee may not access or spend funds during breaks, except from the income subcode. Pre-approval is required for all transactions.
   • No contracts can be entered into without prior approval by the Student Budget Office.
   • All transactions or reimbursements (excepting some paychecks) must be documented with receipts.
   • Receipts must be itemized and state the date and name of the place where the purchase was made. NOTE: Internet confirmations are no longer acceptable receipts for any item other than plane tickets. You must bring in the invoice shipped with a good in order for it to be a valid receipt.
   • Dates on receipts must be after the date when funding for the expense was approved.
   • Altering receipts or providing false receipts constitutes fraud.
   • All transactions and spending for each year must be completed by the final day of classes in the Spring semester. No transactions can take place prior to the start of classes in the Fall semester.
   • All unspent funds, excepting those in the Income account, are consolidated back into the larger SBC General Fund at the end of each academic year.
   • Any group that holds a charter during and fails to appear for Spring Budgeting will have whatever funding it subsequently receives reduced by half.
   • SAC Funding: Rules & Regulations shall be treated as an extension of these rules for allocated funds.
   • All checks cut in the SBC Office for $500.00 or more must be countersigned in the Business Office.
   • Any check made out to the SBC Manager must be countersigned by the Business Office.