For Carolina Gutfreund, next year’s cuts to student organization funding won’t just shrink the Botanical Gardens Club’s budget — they’ve led her to step down as its president.

“The idea of it being bad was just making me so sad because we put a lot of effort into our events,” said Gutfreund, a junior English and interdisciplinary social sciences major. 

Gutfreund has been part of the Botanical Gardens Club for three years. The group requested $5,602 for next year but received only $785 — down from the $2,482 they were allocated last year.

The Botanical Gardens Club is just one of groups receiving deductions in funding for the upcoming year. The cuts include a 50% decrease in student organization funding, about $630,000 in combined cuts from Activity & Service-funded departments, and nearly $2 million from Student Government itself.

SG Tampa Lieutenant Governor Emma Goodwin said the decrease in funding may result in some changes next year, such as reduced building hours at places such as the Recreation Center and the Marshall Student Center, or fewer university-organized events.

“We didn’t really do anything drastic,” Goodwin said. “Everyone had to give in this year. It was just unfortunate.”

Goodwin is also the Vice Chair of the Campus Allocation Funding Committee, which is responsible for recommending Activity & Service fee allocations.

This year, the committee had $17 million to distribute for the 2025-26 fiscal year, a decrease from last year’s $18.2 million. To close the gap between requests and available funds, CAFC proposed $2.6 million in total cuts.

The A&S fee helps fund more than 250 student organizations and 12 departments. It is paid through student tuition as a $7 flat fee and a $12.08 per credit hour at USF Tampa.

Gutfreund said the Botanical Gardens Club uses A&S funds for event supplies, such as crafts and food, but with less than $800 to work with, “a lot” of what they do in the organization will no longer be possible.

“I’m not really sure what the future of the organization is going to look like,” she said. 

She said next year’s funding is “part of” the reason why she’s leaving the club.

“To put that amount of effort again with no resources, it was just like, ‘Oh, I’m gonna be putting in so much work and it’s gonna be bad,’” Gutfreund said. “I’m not gonna be happy about it.”

Goodwin said roughly $13.6 million is collected each year from A&S fee funds, while funding requests total around $20 million. 

Related: USF student orgs, departments might see budget cuts

Student organizations received just under $1 million following the 50% cut to their draft budgets. 

Goodwin said even though most of the pushback over funding comes from student organizations and funding councils, those groups often don’t use all their allocated money.

“We’re not trying to be mean and take away all the money,” she said. “It’s just that people’s lives and salaries are a bit more important.”

She said organizations can hold fundraisers to make up for the losses, though A&S funds can’t be used to support those events.

The Architecture Council of Students is receiving $785, which is less than its original $5,511 request. Their allocation for the 2024-25 fiscal year was $1,530.

Despite the cuts, the organization’s president, Rozeth Aquino, said her organization will “be okay.”

“I definitely think that we’ll have to run less events,” Rozeth said. “It will just be less community events and maybe a bigger focus on the events that matter more.”

Related: How USF might juggle budget cuts for student orgs, departments

Roughly $13 million was directed to student programs and services, including departments, according to the SG Senate fiscal allocation.

Under the current proposal, Recreation and Wellness has been allocated $4,003,421, down from its original request of $4,214,127, while the Office of Multicultural Affairs received $610,281, compared to the requested $722,851.

Some departments were able to avoid cuts. Student Publications, which houses The Oracle, maintained its $165,300 budget and the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life kept its allocation of $345,236.

Related: USF campuses have different A&S fee rates. Here’s why.

The budget was first evaluated by the A&S Recommendation Committee and then voted on by the SG Senate before receiving final approval in May.

Goodwin said USF President Rhea Law is reviewing the final budget, which is expected to be finalized by late May or early June. Its approval will come alongside Law approving the entire university budget.

“We don’t take a $17 million budget lightly,” Goodwin said. “We take every decision we make seriously.”