The Eligibility Process

Any group that wants to receive GSSF money for the first time must go through the eligibility process. Groups that have received GSSF money in the past are required to prove their eligibility for funding every two years. A group is eligible for funding if the SSFC deems that the group meets the eligibility criteria as written in the ASM bylaws (and found on the ASM website and in this packet). The SSFC decides this based on the group’s eligibility application and the eligibility hearing, which consists of a 10-minute presentation and a 30-minute question and answer session. If/when the group is deemed eligible, they maintain that status for 2 years and then must reapply.

Applications are due on a set date at the beginning of the fall semester, one year prior to the funding period for which the group is applying. For example, to receive funding for the 2006-2007 fiscal year, a new group would apply for eligibility in the fall of 2005. Each year about half of the currently-funded GSSF groups will need to apply for eligibility for the following year. If an application is submitted after the due date but before the absolute deadline (after which no applications will be accepted), it is considered late. A late application will only be accepted if the committee votes that there were extenuating circumstances at play.

Eligibility at a Glance

Applications are due on ______
Late applications turned in after the due date but before the absolute deadline can be accepted by a vote of the committee
Eligible groups will meet the eligibility criteria as written in the ASM bylaws
An eligibility hearing consists of a 10-minute presentation and a 30-minute question and answer session
A group maintains its eligibility status for 2 years

Frequently Asked Questions about the Eligibility Process

Where can we find the application and criteria?

is SSFC’s homepage. Any forms and much of the information you need can be found from this page.
What is open forum? Should we have people speak on our behalf in open forum?
Before each SSFC meeting, any ASM member (all UW students are ASM members) has the option of getting on a list to speak for up to 3 minutes to the SSFC. Non-ASM members (members of the community, faculty and staff) may speak so long as there is no objection from the SSFC.
Having your supporters speak in open forum can be very helpful for your organization. Often groups will have members of the organization as well as recipients of their services talk about how the organization’s work has been an important part of their lives on campus.

What should we talk about during our presentation?

In many ways, the presentation is simply a condensed verbal version of your application. It’s a chance for you to tell the committee about what your organization does and how your group meets the eligibility criteria. It’s also the best time to explain your answers to specific application questions in greater detail. Later, during the Q&A session, committee members have a chance to ask you questions about things you may not have covered in your application/presentation or about things that are still unclear for them.
Do we need to use Power Point?
You are not required to use any particular medium for your presentation. Groups use a myriad of ways to get their points across, from simply sitting at the table and talking about their group to using visual aids such as posters and handouts to full Power Point presentations. You should use whatever medium will most clearly convey your argument and with which you feel the most comfortable.

Viewpoint neutrality: what does that really mean during the eligibility process?

Committee members must not take the viewpoint of the group or their own viewpoint about the group into consideration when deciding whether or not a group is eligible for funding. In other words, it does not matter if a committee member personally likes or dislikes an organization and what it does; a group is eligible for funding only if it meets the criteria as written in the bylaws.
Furthermore, a committee cannot grant eligibility based on the argument that the group has proved eligible for funding for several years in the past. This ensures that groups applying for eligibility for the first time will be judged by the same standards as more established groups.