Student Government Association senators don’t plan to leave behind any leftovers this year.

Last year, SGA had leftover money in its budget for organizational aid — money SGA sets aside to help out student organizations.

But senators this year say they’re on target to spend every dollar of the group’s org aid budget.

They have until the end of the spring semester to meet that goal, but Senator Jerebeth Lucas, a Pineville senior on the org aid board, says she thinks they’ll run out of the money by April.

SGA’s org aid board has given $13,278 of its budgeted $40,000 to 36 different campus organizations this year, said Justin Thurman, SGA administrative vice president.

The org aid process didn’t start until mid-October last year, so by this time last year, SGA had given out only $1,059, Thurman said. This year, interviews for org aid started at the end of September.

SGA members plan to spend the entire $40,000 this year, he said.

Last year, SGA handed out $28,612.44 in org aid to 62 different organizations, Thurman said.

Budget cuts ate up $1,500 of their org aid money and senators decided to spend some org aid money on study abroad scholarships, he said.

A little less than $5,900 was left over and went to other SGA projects, including placing an automatic door in Downing University Center, Thurman said.

SGA revamped the org aid process this year, making the application shorter and allowing groups to apply for money multiple times instead of just once at the beginning of the fall semester.

Madisonville senior Jessica Acosta, who served on the org aid board last year, said this year’s application process, particularly the shorter application packet, is more effective.

“There was a lot to it before,” she said. “There was a lot more room for mistakes.”

The current process allows organizations to apply in both the fall and spring semesters until they receive the maximum $500 per organization.

Org aid checks are coming out faster this year, too.

It takes about 10 to 25 days for an organization to receive a check after senators approve an amount, Thurman said. Last year, it took four to six weeks for organizations to receive checks.

“I’m very happy, and the organizations seem to be very happy that they’re getting their checks faster,” he said.

Stephanie Scott, office coordinator for Student Activity, Organization and Leadership, said the process of sending the checks has changed since last year and is more efficient for everyone involved.

There’s $26,722 in org aid money left, but Thurman said he doesn’t think SGA members will be faced with the dilemma of what to do with leftover money again.

“We’re on target for spending the money,” he said. “We’ve established a routine, and the student organizations are cooperating.”