USAC Budget Student Fees Overview
Understanding where your student fees go can be confusing. These graphics, created by USAC Office of the President Affordability Team 20-21, can help explain how the USAC budget is composed of compulsory student fees (also known as referenda fees). These are student fees that were voted on and passed by the student body, and are overseen by the Undergraduate Students Association Council (USAC). Some fees, especially those passed in more recent academic years, are adjusted to CPI each year and may change the total amount collected from the undergraduate student body. Additionally many of the fees also include Return to Aid where 25% of the fee collected goes to the Financial Aid Office. The breakdown featured below illustrates one academic quarter of student fee collection available for USAC budget after Return to Aid is processed.
Overall Fee Breakdown by Category
Allocated Budget from Winter 2021)
| Category | Description | Fee |
|---|
| Category | Description | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Academic Advancement | Fees used towards advocating for equal and inclusive promotion of academics for students at UCLA. | $3.03 |
| Community Service and Outreach | Fees used to promote and provide service to communities within UCLA, and outside of UCLA through advocacy efforts. | $33.42 |
| Promotion of Safety | Fees used to maintain a safe environment for UCLA students while promoting community service (i.e., CPO Pledge Fee, Student Risk Education Committee). | $4.57 |
| Sustainability | Fees to promote sustainability and environmentally-friendly events and programs on campus (i.e., TGIF). | $3.60 |
| Entertainment/Recreation | Fees used to facilitate community event and recreation activities for UCLA students (i.e., Bruin Bash, Wooden Center, Community Activities Committee). | $17.45 |
| Health and Wellness | Fees used to support health and wellbeing of UCLA students, including mental health advocacy, sexual health education, and overall well being (i.e, Contingency Programming Fund, Student Wellness Commission, CAPS). | $15.77 |
| Inclusivity and Diversity | Fees used to foster a culturally diverse and pluralistic community on campus by supporting various student communities (i.e., SJR LGBT Student Programming Fund, SJR Student w/ Dependent Child Care Fund). | $1.45 |
| Basic Needs | Funds used to support basic needs including food, hygiene products, clothing, and school supplies for students in need (i.e., CPO Food Closet and Good Clothes Good People). | $0.89 |
| Operational Expenses | Fees used to cover the overhead administrative work, maintenance of office spaces for student government and student organizations, and utilities for office spaces (i.e., USA Officer, Elections Board, Judicial Board, & Office Space Allocation Committee stipends; office space in KH, career support staff in Student Government Accounting and Services). | $13.16 |
| Total Allocated Budget | Sample fees budgeted for 1 academic quarter (Winter 2021). | $93.34 |
Total Fee Available for Budget (per student/per quarter *fees updated as of Winter 2021, subject to change based on CPI adjustments, Return to Aid adjustments included.)
Overall Fee Breakdown by Fund Type
(Allocated Budget from Winter 2021)
| Fund Type | Description | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Allocated to USAC Funding Bodies | Fees that are allocated to USAC funding bodies for registered student organizations or individual students to apply to for various needs (i.e., Contingency Programming Fund, CS Mini Fund, TGIF, Travel Grant Mini Fund). | $11.44 |
| USAC Delegated Funds | Fees that USAC delegates to campus departments to utilize to support students, and report back to USAC on expenditure of funds (i.e., CAPS, AAP, CPO). | $53.76 |
| USAC Managed Non-Discretionary Funds | Fees that USAC directly manages but are directed for certain purposes based on the referendum language (i.e., Bruin Bash fee to be spent on Bruin Bash activities). | $11.66 |
| Commissioner Managed Discretionary Funds | Fees that are managed by specific USAC offices for programming, events, and other student needs (i.e., SWC, CEC, CAC, CSC). | $15.48 |
| USA Council Managed Discretionary Funds | Fees that are managed by USAC that can be spent at Council’s discretion on programs or initiatives for the benefit of the student body. | $1.00 |
| Total Allocated Budget | Sample fees for 1 academic quarter (Winter 2021). | $93.34 |
Total Fee Available for Budget (per student/per quarter *fees updated as of Winter 2021, subject to change based on CPI adjustments, Return to Aid adjustments included.)