The safety net that the ASUO has for getting funds won’t come into play for the coming year’s budget process. For the first time in five years, ASUO administrators have under-realized their funds — the amount of fee-paying University of Oregon students they thought were going to be enrolled this year turned out to be less than expected — about $100,000 less according to External Vice President Greg Mills.

“It’s rare, but I think we’re going to see (being under-realized) more often,” Mills said. “The amount of students we let in has kind of hit a plateau.”

When the ASUO is over-realized, those funds are put into a surplus, which can then be used to fund special requests from student groups throughout the year. This year’s surplus is at approximately $300,000, one of the largest surpluses the ASUO has ever had. That’s fortunate, as the this year’s surplus will have to transfer over to next because there’s 8no extra over-realized funds for next year.

“Being under-realized means that no extra money will be added to the surplus [from that fund],” Sen. Taylor Allison said, who was the former ASUO Senate treasurer last year. “The special request surplus is funded by whatever amount of money we have from being over-realized  the previous year. So since there won’t be any over-realized funds for next year’s surplus, whatever’s left in this year’s will roll over to next year.”

Although money from the over-realized fund won’t be added to a surplus, that doesn’t necessarily mean ASUO won’t have extra cash at the end of the year. Any money student groups don’t spend will be added to a surplus fund.

“Until you see another growth in number of students, it’s rare we’re going to see a large over-realized fund again,” Mills said.

To fill the $100,000 difference, the ASUO will take money from its Prudent Reserve, which according to the ASUO Green Tape Notebook is what is used to “insure against shortfalls due to under-realized enrollment and/or other unforeseen contingencies.” Five percent of the total incidental fee budget funds the Prudent Reserve, which is already thinning out due to the ASUO’s decision to put a 3.5 percent cap on increasing the incidental fee.

Along with 5 percent of the fee serving as the sole funds for the Prudent Reserve, the incidental fee also serves as the primary funds for the Athletics and Contracts Finance Committee, Departments Finance Committee, Programs Finance Committee and the EMU Board. Some things the ACFC does is make contracts with the athletic department so that there are tickets for students, as well as making a contract with the Lane Transit bus system, so that there are student passes. The DFC funds larger student groups, such as the Oregon Marching Band and the Mills International Center, while the PFC funds 140 student groups, such as the Women’s Center and Multicultural Center. The EMU Board focuses on all things related to the EMU building.

With all of those groups being funded by an incidental fee that has a 3.5 percent cap and has less money due there not being an influx of students, the fee will be stretched to its max next year.

“The reserve is incidental-fee funded, so it’s going to affect how we disperse the incidental fee next year too,” Mills said.