The Student Government appropriations time frame — or period when student organizations can submit applications to receive funds from Student Senate — ends this Sunday at midnight, and so far about 50 organizations have applied.

By the end of the application process last year, 127 organizations requested money.

Student Senate Appropriations Committee chair Kelli Rogers, a junior in political science, said this year’s application process has gone smoothly after the committee’s Webmaster fixed kinks with the application in early September.

“Overall, the appropriations process has gone really well,” Rogers said. “We had some trouble at the beginning when we were trying to get our Web site up and running, but since that was fixed, things have been good. Our Webmaster has been updating the Web site to make sure it keeps running as it should.”

As of Thursday, Rogers said she had received around 50 applications for money, a number which she said she expected to go up during the weekend prior to Sunday’s deadline.

Rogers said once all student organizations submit their applications, the committee will review applications and conduct interviews with the organizations during the next two weeks.

Rogers will read a bill with recommendations on funds to the Student Senate for the first time Oct. 1.

The Appropriations Committee has been able to give out around $50,000 per semester to student organizations that request money in past years. And Student Body Treasurer Scott Lassiter, a junior in political science, said the money available for the fall 2008 cycle is similar to past semesters.

“We have right around $50,000 to give out,” he said. “We always leave out about $5,000 for the appeals process, but the total is around $50,000.”

Groups can apply for money for a number of reasons. New groups can use appropriations funds as start-up money, while other groups use the money to fund on campus events and travel.

Malissa Braxton, a senior in extension education and vice president of BassPack, said her club needs appropriations money to help offset the travel costs each member incurs.

“We’re trying to get the money to help replace the fees each member has paid in travel costs,” she said.

Rogers said more students have attended the help sessions than in past years.

“The help sessions have been going great,” Rogers said. “Usually, we don’t have a good turnout for these things, but this year, we’ve had 25 groups show up during the two help sessions held this week.”

For Lassiter, the increased attendance in the help sessions will make the process go more smoothly and allow groups to receive money faster.

“There have been times when student groups haven’t gotten checks for three months,” he said. “This year, we are trying to get the checks out to the organizations quicker. I’ve been telling people it should be between three and five weeks following approval.”

Rogers said she tried to make the application process easier this year, something which Braxton said she noticed.

“It was a whole lot easier than it has been,” Braxton said. “It felt like the process was less complicated.”

Lassiter said the overall process is more streamlined than before.

“The process is being run a little more user-friendly now,” he said. “The help sessions have been great and the whole process just seems easier to follow.”