The Apportionment Board unanimously approved a funding freeze Thursday for a combined amount of $33,273 because of over-allocation and low enrollment.

Mary Lane, the student vice president for business affairs and a junior family and consumer sciences major, said if they had not frozen the funds, they would have been in trouble.

“Technically, the money we froze doesn’t exist,” Lane said. “There was over-allocation from last year because we did not anticipate the drop in enrollment so we had the boards withhold 6 percent of their budgets.”

The University Board, the Student Recreation Center and the Student Senate receive funds from student fees and each withheld about 6 percent of its budgets last semester.

Even though the funds were withheld, they had to be frozen to guarantee that they would not be spent, Lane said.

The Apportionment Board unanimously approved the freezes separately.

The Student Recreation Center cut $15,000 from its budget, and the University Board also cut $15,000 from its budget.

The student recreation center made the cuts from supplies and equipment. The University Board made cuts from salaries, professional services traveling expenses, printing, and contractual services and commodities, which consists of give-a-ways, decorations and food supplies for events.

The Student Senate cut $3,273 from executive tuition waivers, marketing and student relation forums.

The decision to freeze funds will be presented to the Student Senate on Wednesday, and then it will go to Daniel Nadler, the vice president for student affairs, for approval.

The next Apportionment Board meeting will be every Thursday beginning March 1 to draft the new budget for next year, Lane said.

An integral part of the budget making process will be to estimate how many students will be on campus in the fall, Lane said.

“The administrators in Old Main will look at how many students were on campus this year and last year, along with how many students are looking to go to college,” Lane said. “When you get down to it, it is all a guessing game.”

Lane said she expects additional cuts to next year’s budget.

“We didn’t need to make any cuts for the past two years, but everything changes once you look at enrollment and the economy,” Lane said. “However, I am confident that the boards will work with the budgets they have and still provide campus services.”

Megan McQueen, a sophomore sociology major, joined the Apportionment Board on Thursday.

“I think it is important to be aware about what is going on on-campus and to know what is happening with the money that students pay to come here,” McQueen said.

Rachel Rodgers can

be reached at 581-2812

or [email protected].