Harvard Undergraduate Association Receives $550k from Dean of Students Office

The Dean of Students Office allocated $550,000 to the Harvard Undergraduate Association Monday — a 10 percent increase from the usual yearly budget of its predecessor, the Harvard Undergraduate Council.

The HUA had requested $682,000 from the DSO last week, citing inflation and an increased volume of club funding requests.

In a letter obtained by The Crimson, Associate Dean of Students Engagement and HUA adviser Jason R. Meier applauded the group’s presentation and proposal, which advocated for a 14 percent increase in club funding and allocations for big-ticket items, including a $4,000 “QuadFest” and $10,000 for HUA retreats.

“Your thoughtfulness and connection to the mission and vision of the organization were evident,” he wrote. “While it’s not possible to give full funding based on the current resources we have, we are happy to allot a budget increase from previous years and hope that this increase will allow you to move forward on the HUA’s goals and priorities.”

Though they had proposed a much larger sum, the HUA was still able to receive more than its predecessor, which had not been a guarantee. Meier previously cautioned that the HUA could face a budget reduction compared to the UC, citing shrinking participation in the student activities fee, in an interview with The Crimson Thursday.

Four bodies — the HUA, the College Events Board, the Harvard Foundation Student Advisory Committee, and housing committees — are funded by the Student Activities Fee, a $200 charge automatically applied to the tuition bill of each College student.

According to Meier, an increasing number of College students have opted out of the fee in recent years, rendering budget expansions difficult.

In a statement to The Crimson Monday, HUA Co-President Travis Allen Johnson ’24 indicated that an adjusted budget will be presented at the Association’s general meeting on Saturday.

—Staff writer J. Sellers Hill can be reached at sellers.hill@thecrimson.com.