Student Government Association

• Only Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) may request S.O.L.O. funds.
• To be eligible for funding, events must:
  1) be held on campus, and
  2) have free admission for all students. 
• No event will be considered that:
  1) has already occurred prior to the SGA hearing the request, or
  2) has alcoholic beverages, or
  3) has activities that benefit only the members of a specific organization.
• For the Fall and Spring semesters, no more than $2,000 per application and a maximum of $2,000 per semester will be allocated to any RSO. 
• An RSO may apply to receive more than $2,000 for an event if deemed an exceptional benefit by two-thirds vote of the SGA Senate. Only one application for exceptional benefit per RSO per academic year will be considered.

• Online application submissions must be completed before 4:30 PM on the Wednesday before the S.O.L.O. session prior to your event.
• S.O.L.O. Applications must be submitted according to the deadlines described below. 
• S.O.L.O. Applications are submitted via Eagle Engage.
• Applicants should be prepared to provide the following:
  • Contact information for the organization member serving as the point person for the event.
  • A detailed budget document (see S.O.L.O. Toolkit below)
  • A complete event flyer or social media image.
    • The flyer/image must include the organization’s or organizations’ name(s), the event date and time, the event location, and a description of the event.
    • The flyer/image must also include the SGA Logo in a size that is at least 1.5”x1.5” on an 8.5”x11” flyer, as well as the S.O.L.O. Funding statement provided in the S.O.L.O. Toolkit below.
    • For social media images, the SOLO Funding statement must be included in the caption once posted.  
• Please review the Using S.O.L.O. Funds section below to learn more about how S.O.L.O. Funds may be used before submitting the application.
• Requests for events where less than $1,000 is requested (half of the maximum allocation) may be approved by the S.O.L.O. Funding Committee. Requests for events where $1,000 or more is requested must be approved by the S.O.L.O. Funding Committee and the SGA Senate.
• If multiple organizations are requesting funds for the same event, each organization must submit a S.O.L.O. Application. The total amount requested by all organizations for the same event will be used to determine whether the requests must be approved by the SGA Senate. All requests pertaining to the same event must be heard by the S.O.L.O. Funding Committee and/or the SGA on the same date.  
• Applicants are responsible for responding to questions posed by applicant reviewers via Eagle Engage, and for ensuring that the organization’s advisor has approved the request prior to the scheduled hearing. 
• Applicants will receive an invitation to the appropriate S.O.L.O. Funding Committee and/or SGA Senate meeting(s) at least twenty four hours prior to the meeting. 
• An organization representative must be present at the S.O.L.O. Funding Committee and/or SGA Senate meeting(s) to briefly present the request and answer questions. Failure to appear will automatically result in denial of the request. 

A detailed event budget must accompany any application. Failure to provide sufficient detail may result in a delay in the process and/or dismissal of the request. Helpful budget documents include: the items to be purchased, the cost per each item, the quantity of each item to be purchased, and a description of each item. ALL event costs should be described, including shipping costs, the cost of art for t-shirts, decorations, etc. Only items described in the budget document will be purchased or reimbursed.

 

The SGA Logo (below) must be included on all printed materials promoting S.O.L.O.-funded events.
Download the SGA logo »

The following statement must be included on the event flyer:

“This event has been financially sponsored, either entirely or partially by the Tennessee Tech Student Government Association (SGA) and its SOLO Fund. The views contained herein at this event or program does not represent the views of the Tennessee Tech Student Government Association, the SGA President or other members, the University, or the Tennessee Tech University Board of Trustees. The Tennessee Tech Student Government Association is fully in accord with the belief that all events and programs should be afforded the same opportunities that all US Citizens receive from the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.”

S.O.L.O. Funding Applications must be heard by the SOLO Committee and/or SGA Senate at least two weeks prior to the event date to ensure that all purchases may be made in accordance with University policies. Deadline exceptions may be granted in special cases as approved by the SGA Treasurer and by the SGA Advisor; however, an organization may not be granted more than one exception during an academic year. 

S.O.L.O. Funding Applications may be submitted in advance of the stated application deadline.

In order to accommodate all organizations requesting S.O.L.O. Funds, organizations may only be present one request per meeting. Organizations are highly encouraged to plan their requests for the semester accordingly. 

S.O.L.O. Application Deadline Information

Event Date	Submit Application By	Committee Hearing Date	Senate Hearing Date (for requests of $1000 or more)
January 16th - February 2nd	November 25th, 2024 @ 4:30 PM	December 2nd, 2024	December 2nd, 2024
February 3rd – February 17th	January 22nd, 2025 @ 4:30 PM	January 27th, 2025	January 27th, 2025
February 18th - March 4th	January 29th, 2025 @ 4:30 PM	February 4th, 2025	February 10th, 2025
March 5th – March 18th	February 12th, 2025 @ 4:30 PM	February 18th, 2025	February 24th, 2025
March 19th – April 1th	February 26th, 2025 @ 4:30 PM	March 4th, 2025	March 10th, 2025
April 2nd – April 16th*	March 19th, 2025 @ 4:30 PM	March 25th, 2025	March 24th, 2025
April 17th – May 2nd	March 26th, 2025 @ 4:30 PM	April 1st, 2025	—
August 21 – Sept 5**	April 9th, 2025 @ 4:30 PM	April 15th, 2025	—

*Final date to submit requests of $1,000 or more for the semester will be March 19th.
**Only Mix & Mingle requests and requests less than $1,000 will be considered for August 21st through September 5   

The S.O.L.O. Funding Application is accessed via Eagle Engage using the link below or via the Student Government Association group in Eagle Engage. Students must be listed as an officer of their student organization in Eagle Engage.

FILL OUT THE SOLO APPLICATION

For assistance with Eagle Engage, email engagement@tntech.edu.
For questions related to the SOLO Application, email sgatreasurer@tntech.edu.
During business hours, call 931-372-3123.

Please review the information below to ensure that your organization is able to utilize awarded funds and host an amazing event.

Getting Started. Organizations awarded S.O.L.O. Funds must meet with Susan Henry, the Center for Student Engagement’s Administrative Associate, before ordering items or making purchases. To schedule a time to meet with Susan, email shenry@tntech.edu.

Expense Considerations. Using University funds can be more complicated than making personal purchases. Please be ready to discuss the following:

• T-shirts and other promotional items. The use of S.O.L.O. Funds for promotional items with the University name or trademarks must be approved by the University and purchased through a licensed provider. Artwork for t-shirts may need to be approved prior to placing an order.
• Prizes. Prizes may be purchased, but certain conditions exist that the organization must agree to.
  • NOTE: S.O.L.O. Funds may not be used to purchase, or reimburse the purchase of, gift cards.
• Posters and printed materials. The University’s Printing Services must be used for S.O.L.O.-funded printing projects.
• Food. S.O.L.O. Funds may be used for food as approved by the SGA. Organizations may not spend more than $500 for food provided by off-campus restaurants or retailers. If spending more than $500 for an event, the food must be purchased through Campus Dining. The purchase of food that must be cooked and/or otherwise prepared is prohibited.
• Reimbursement vs. Direct Purchase. In many cases, Student Engagement can purchase the items you need directly. This process is much more efficient than the reimbursement process. Often, the organization can get more for less by using the University’s accounts (with Staples, for instance). Reimbursement can take up to three weeks. Purchases made without permission from Student Engagement may not be reimbursed. Receipts for reimbursement must be submitted within 10 days of the event or purchase (whichever comes first). Receipts submitted after this deadline may not be reimbursed.
• Taxes. Food orders and other expenses can often be purchased directly by Student Engagement, making the purchases tax-exempt. Some retailers will allow you to use a personal card and still remove the taxes from the purchase, but usually personal purchases will be taxed. STUDENT ENGAGEMENT WILL NOT REIMBURSE TAXES. Only before-tax amounts will be reimbursed.
• Receipts. Receipts must show that the payment was made. Sometimes students bring an invoice or quote for reimbursement. The receipt should indicate the payment method and show PAID or a $0.00 balance. Receipts should also indicate the company name and show the itemized expenses. “Credit Card Receipts” that only show the total amount of the transaction may not be accepted.
• Event Expenses vs. Operating Expenses. All expenses should support the proposed event. Expenses must not be for organization members only, and should not be used for equipment and materials unrelated to the event or primarily intended for use by the organization outside of the proposed event.

Promoting The Event. In addition to any promotion done by the organization, events funded using S.O.L.O. funds may be promoted by the SGA via social media and/or on Roaden University Center signage.

Improper Use of Funds. Organizations may lose their eligibility to request S.O.L.O. funds if the organization:

• fails to adhere to the procedures described here,
• uses the funds for purposes not expressly approved by the SGA, or
• uses the funds in a manner that violates SGA or University policies.