HUA Funding Remains the Same Despite 10 Percent Drop in SAF Funding

The Harvard Undergraduate Association announced the Dean of Students Office allocated $522,500 to the HUA for this academic year, during their general meeting on Tuesday.

HUA Co-Treasurer Tobias Elbs ’27 said the DSO informed the HUA that the total funding from the Student Activities Fee had dropped by 10 percent this year due to a record number of students opting out of paying the SAF.

However, despite the drop in students paying the SAF, the DSO wrote that it would match the amount of money allocated to the HUA last school year, which totaled $550,078.

HUA Co-President Ashley C. Adirika ’26 announced that 85 percent of the HUA’s funding will be given to student organizations this school year, constituting the largest proportion of funding the HUA has ever given to student groups.

Jonathan Haileselassie ’26, who serves as co-president with Adirika, discussed the creation of a Harvard-Yale focus group, a partnership between the HUA and the DSO that Haileselassie said will shape the student experience at this year’s Harvard-Yale game, which will be hosted at Harvard on Nov. 23.

In previous years, the College has instituted tailgating restrictions ahead of the annual matchup, sparking outcry among students. Haileselassie said the partnership will allow for students to give feedback to the DSO and interact with campus deans and administrators regarding the Harvard-Yale tailgate and the spirit week leading up to The Game.

Haileselassie also encouraged attendees to apply for an open spot on the committee on student life, a group composed of students and faculty members that “addresses issues of importance regarding extracurricular and social life of students at the College.”

Joel O. Crawford ’26, the HUA’s extracurricular team officer, said that while the application deadline for new clubs passed last week, the team has not begun reviewing the applications yet. Last year, the DSO instituted a club freeze, barring the recognition of any new student groups on campus. The freeze was lifted last month, allowing organizations to apply for official recognition from the DSO after the year-long pause.

Sarah Bellagat ’27, the HUA’s well-being team officer, announced that the HUA is looking for two students to join the Student Health Insurance Advisory Committee — a group composed of students and administrators that will “review the student health insurance plan” and “all the benefits and the structure of it,” according to Bellagat.

Bellagat said the team will meet three times per year and “advise administration on changes that should be made to the plan.”

Adirika concluded the meeting by announcing a new policy for future HUA meetings: at the end of the session, she said there will be an “open floor” designed to solicit “student feedback, student opinion, student concern, so that we’re really able to cater the work that we’re doing to what students actually need.”

—Staff writer Cam N. Srivastava can be reached at cam.srivastava@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @camsrivastava.

—Staff writer Adithya V. Madduri can be reached at adithya.madduri@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @adithyavmadduri.