During the Feb. 18 Student Liaison Committee Meeting, the Student Government Association proposed a one time increase of $327,000 to the Campus Programming Fund.

The administration should take the SGA's request for additional support seriously. The CPF last saw an increase 14 years ago, and the SGA's ability to accommodate students has been severely limited since then.

Currently, the $800,000 fund supports SGA, Program Board, the Mary Ellen Brandell Volunteer Center, Intramural Sports, the Leadership Institute and other student groups.

The Central Michigan University Budget Priorities Committee told SGA to lower the request to $150,000 before it is considered by University President George Ross.

The committee also made it clear the majority of additional funds ought to be placed where the most students would benefit, said SGA President Chuck Mahone.

Now, SGA plans to allocate $120,000 to the Student Budget Allocation Committee, which funds conferences and projects for the university's 350 registered student organizations. The remaining $30,000 would be given to Program Board.

SBAC's $80,000 budget has remained static for several years as well, according to SGA Treasurer Taylor Gehrcke. As more and more students become involved in registered student organizations, SBAC funds are stretched thinner.

Gehrcke and Mahone cited inflation over the last five years as another factor that limits SGA's purchasing power when it comes to funding student activities.The price to show a movie on campus or bring a performer to McGuirk Arena grows higher every year.

Four years ago, Program Board was able to bring Ke$ha to campus for $50,000. The Band Perry performed in February for $170,000 before production costs.

Larger price tags for conferences, entertainment, equipment and travel, combined with more students to accommodate and a static budget equals fewer benefits for everyone.

During the 2013-14 academic year, 72 applications for SBAC reimbursements were submitted. Of those applications, only six were denied. However, SBAC has been unable to fully fund projects and conferences for years, according to Mahone.

Student groups applying for SBAC reimbursements generally ask for funds to cover transportation, registration fees and the cost of lodging. The SBAC committee never grants an entire request.

Student groups are forced to come up with the remaining money themselves. According to Gehrcke, some of the groups supported by the CPF also receive university funding, but for others, SBAC and the CPF are the only source of support.

Mahone and Gehrcke said the goal is to get SBAC back into a position to fully fund student projects and conferences.

The $23,000 SGA budget would receive none of the additional funding. SGA is not eligible to apply for SBAC funds.

The budget is small compared to some other student government organizations at public universities. The Associated Students of Michigan State University, MSU's version of student government, are working with a $1.6 million budget, according to their website.

The CPF is in need of an update. With so much of the addition being promised to SBAC, the proposal would directly benefit the largest amount of students possible.

No one is more deserving of funds at a university than the students who pay to attend it.