Undergraduate Student Government (USG) Senate passed a resolution last week limiting the amount of money it can allocate to student groups.

The Senate set aside $11,684 to fund student-run activities and internal matters, such as voter registration drives. Eight thousand dollars has already been used for student-run activities.

When groups apply for funding, senators consider the educational value of the proposed event and how it will benefit Penn State students. No group has been denied funds yet.

"There are a lot of groups who put on events to benefit the whole campus," said Ellen Trusz, a member of Pollock-Nittany Residence Association. "If they need help funding it, USG is obviously the first place to go."

USG must monitor the amount of money it has left to give to student groups, she said.

"It looks like they're going to have to cut back on money that they give to groups. Hopefully, everyone can still do what they want to, even without backing from USG," Trusz said.

"It's important that students know USG isn't the only place to go for funding," she added.

Because larger groups often plan events in advance and receive funds early, smaller groups sometimes have difficulty securing money.

Performance groups often rely less on funding from USG and University Park Allocation Committee (UPAC) in order to stage their events.

Charlotte Huang, director of Penn State International Dance Ensemble, said her group does not always use UPAC funding. The group depends on profits from the show to have money for the next semester. If the group went through UPAC, the money they make would not go directly to them.

Elizabeth Powell, assistant director of International Dance Ensemble, said dance groups typically use allocated funds to pay for costumes and choreographers instead of renting performance venues.

"There are so many groups to provide money for, UPAC often can't offer groups as much funding as they'd like," Powell said.