The Undergraduate Students Association Council allocated over $500,000 in surplus funding at its meeting Tuesday.

USAC is the official student government representing the undergraduate student body at UCLA. Council meetings are open to all students and usually take place in person at the Bruin Viewpoint Room and on Zoom every Tuesday at 7 p.m. Students can find the links for the meetings on the agenda posted on the USAC website or watch a livestream on the USAC Live! channel on YouTube.

Public comment:

• Maleeyah Frazier, the administrative coordinator of the Afrikan Student Union, said the group is disheartened with its lack of representation on the council. Frazier spoke in support of the council allocating surplus funding to the organization.

• Khale’ Jackson, the vice chairperson of ASU, also advocated for the council to allocate surplus funding to ASU.

• Amariah Scott, the athletic liaison for ASU, also spoke in support of a surplus allocation to the organization, stressing the importance of the programs the union provides for Black students and how the funding is vital to their continuation.

• Tara Moore – a second-year molecular, cell and developmental biology student – also spoke about her support for the surplus funding, stressing the current need for a strong and funded community.

• Ariana Muniz-Austin, ASU’s programming coordinator, spoke in support of the surplus funding proposal and spoke about the importance of funding for the organization’s events.

• Wyatt Lewis, a second-year psychobiology student, also spoke in support of allocating surplus funding to ASU.

• Hyerim Yoon, the executive advocacy director for General Representative Chris Ramsey, spoke in support of the Swipes for Shirts campaign, which raises awareness for Swipe Out Hunger and ensures UCLA students do not go hungry by encouraging students to donate their unused meal swipes in exchange for T-shirts. Swipes for Shirts will begin its quarterly campaign effort, and it wishes to host a booth on Bruin Walk for more than just week 10, as its current funding permits, Yoon said.

• Sofia Gevorgian, another student from Ramsey’s office, also spoke in support of Swipes for Shirts.

• Paige Zwerner, a director in the internal vice president’s office, also spoke in support of Swipes for Shirts.

• Mark Brown, the finance director for Ramsey’s office, also spoke about his support for Swipes for Shirts. Brown said allocating surplus funding to the organization would allow the campaign to begin hosting a booth on Bruin Walk during week eight instead of week 10 and to purchase 1,000 more shirts to incentivize students to donate their meal swipes.

• Gunnar Roth, the vice chair of the California Public Interest Research Group’s UCLA chapter, said some of the organization’s members lobbied at the state capitol and added that the group spoke to Assistant Vice Chancellor Frank Wada about textbook affordability. The organization will run a Bruin Walk campaign for voter education in anticipation of the USAC election, Roth said.

• Wendy Flores, the treasurer of Grupo Folklórico de UCLA, spoke about the impact of Royce Hall’s program price increase on its annual event, Fiesta Mexicana, to advocate for increased funds for the organization.

• America Barrera, the coordinator for Grupo Folklórico de UCLA, also spoke in support of funding the group, emphasizing the size and importance of the event.

• Jasi Bermejo, the president of Samahang Pilipino, spoke in support of funding for the organization’s 2025 Pilipinx Graduation due to an increase in the price to reserve Royce Hall.

• Lindsey Sambilay, the celebration coordinator for Samahang Pilipino, also spoke in support of the event funding and the issues created by the organization’s decreasing budget.

• Mikha Cabebe, the external vice president of Samahang Pilipino, also spoke in support of the funding for all of the cultural organization’s events, urging the topic to be included in the agenda for next Tuesday’s USAC meeting.

• Alyssa Cosico, the cultural night coordinator for Samahang Pilipino, [CQ5 OK] also spoke in support of funding for cultural celebrations and adding the topic to next week’s agenda.

• Aniyah Story, a third-year psychobiology student and director of internal affairs at Melanin and Medicine, also spoke in support of ASU receiving $100,000 in surplus funding.

• Kahlila Williams, the chairperson of ASU, also spoke in support of the organization’s $100,000 surplus funding request – which would support Afrikan Graduation – due to rising venue costs and lowering student support. Williams said the organization no longer receives allocations from UCLA due to its refusal to remove the word “Black” from the name of its graduation.

Funding:

• The council allocated $38,070 from the Contingency Programming Fund to three USAC entities and 57 non-USAC entities.

• The council allocated $9,921.45 from the Supplemental Fund for Service to 11 non-USAC entities.

• The council allocated $1,750 from the Student Wellness Programming Fund to one USAC entity and one non-USAC entity.

• The council allocated $21,489.58 from the Arts Restoring Community Fund to eight non-USAC entities.

• The council allocated $28,074 from The Green Initiative Fund to three non-USAC entities.

• The council allocated $25 from the UCLA Housing Laundry Fund to five people.

• The council allocated $15 from the Replacement BruinCard Fund to two people.

Special presentation:

• Multiple council members presented proposals for carry-over funding allocations.

• President Adam Tfayli presented a proposal for a $500 stipend for non-referendum office directors, requesting $56,000.

• Financial Supports Commissioner Nico Morrone presented on the Financial Supports Committee’s quarterly lab coat rental program, requesting $8,230.

• Academic Affairs Commissioner Cristopher Espino presented a proposal for the Microwave Access Project to increase students’ campus microwave access, requesting $6,500.

• Espino also presented on the Academic Affairs Commission’s senator’s and ambassador’s stipends, requesting $6,850.

• General Representative Chris Ramsey presented on the Swipes for Shirts drive, requesting $5,400.

• Espino presented a proposal for the Academic Affairs Commission’s “Fostering Connections” Mentorship Program to assist with education and college readiness, requesting $15,000.

• Espino also presented a graduate test prep book rental program, requesting $4,500, and on creating a student-led research hub program within the Academic Affairs Commission, requesting $10,000.

• International Student Representative Syed Tamim Ahmad presented a proposal for the International Student Support Fund, requesting $30,000.

• General representatives Diego Bollo and Tommy Contreras presented funding proposals for the Latinx Welcome, requesting $64,500; the Latinx Success Center Open House, requesting $15,000; and the Latinx Success Center’s Student Leadership Retreat, requesting $5,000.

• Cultural Affairs Commissioner Kyland Talbott presented a proposal for the JazzReggae Festival, requesting $55,000.

• Tfayli presented a proposal for each USAC office that does not receive referendum funding to get $5,000, requesting $45,000, though the officers realized this could prove to be an issue since it involves funding from this year being put into next year’s budget.

• Internal Vice President Josh Garland presented a proposal on behalf of Sujana Sridhar and the USA Elections Board to reimburse all candidates and ballot representatives and to pay their staff, requesting $2,567.33. Garland also presented on a Housing Relief Fund to reduce the financial burden on students making private housing payments, requesting $79,950.

• Transfer Student Representative Mona Tavassoli presented a proposal on the transfer graduation celebration package, requesting $35,000.

• Campus Events Commissioner Robert Hall presented a proposal for Ultra Bloom, an annual electronic music festival, requesting $20,000. Hall also presented on Shorttakes, an annual student film festival, requesting $5,000-$10,000.

• External Vice President Javier Nuñez-Verdugo presented on the Education, Access, Retention NOW! Proposal to support ASU programs and support students using the Black Bruin Resource Center, requesting $109,400.

• Nuñez-Verdugo also presented on the Basic Needs Con Café proposal to fund the EVP Basic Needs’ food pantry and community meals program, requesting $40,000.

• Tavassoli presented a proposal to support the Transfer Mingle during Transfer Bruin Day, requesting $5,917.

Agenda items:

The council allocated carry-over funding following the officers’ special presentations.

• The council allocated $56,000 to Tfayli’s office.

• The council allocated $8,230 to the Financial Supports Commission.

• The council allocated $42,530 to the Academic Affairs Commission.

• The council allocated $3,400 to General Representative Ramsey’s office.

• The council allocated $30,000 to Ahmad’s office.

• The council allocated $84,000 to Bollo’s and Contreras’ offices.

• The council allocated $55,000 to Talbott’s office.

• The council allocated $35,000 to Garland’s and Tavassoli’s offices.

• The council allocated $77,567.33 to Garland’s office.

• The council allocated $30,000 to Hall’s office.

• The council allocated $115,000 to Nuñez-Verdugo’s office.

• The council unanimously approved a resolution demanding that UCLA order a comprehensive audit of the Center for Accessible Education and campus accessibility programs and disregard the results of the previous audit because of conflict-of-interest issues.

• Contreras introduced a change to the council’s bylaws to adjust the workings of the oversight committee.

• Contreras introduced a change to the council’s bylaws to adjust the list of presidential appointments to add an oversight committee chair.