ASMSU to vote on tax referendum, scholarships

ASMSU will decide Thursday whether to move forward with a proposed tax referendum to fund its Readership Program and a proposal to create two new scholarship opportunities for students.

ASMSU is MSU’s undergraduate student government.

The group’s Policy Committee passed a referendum last Thursday to raise the ASMSU tax by $1.75, netting $126,000 for its Readership Program. The program provides The New York Times, USA Today and the Detroit Free Press campuswide. ASMSU’s Finance Committee also approved a proposal to possibly create two scholarships Thursday, but the revenue from the tax increase would not go toward the scholarships.

Tax referendum

Student Assembly will have the option of allocating budget rollover funds to supplement Readership Program costs when it votes on the tax referendum Thursday. If approved, the referendum would appear on the organization’s spring ballot and would be revisited every three years.

Student Assembly Vice Chairperson for External Affairs Eric Branoff said the amount was the most viable option.

“Taking into account the survey results we received after the pilot program, $1.75 is a lot lower than most students were willing to pay,” Branoff said.

He said he did not have the exact numbers with him, but said a large portion of survey respondents indicated a willingness to pay a tax increase of $4 to $6.

However, if students vote down the tax increase — the tax currently is $16.75 — Branoff said it will spell the end of the program.

Scholarship proposal

Assembly members also will discuss a proposal to create two leadership scholarships.

As the proposal stands right now, ASMSU would contribute a total of $66,000 to create the scholarships. The Spartan Scholarship Challenge, which matches $1 for every $2 spent on creating new endowed scholarships, would receive $20,000 and result in an endowment of $30,000.

MSU would be responsible for setting the criteria for scholarship eligibility, Student Assembly Chairperson Kyle Dysarz said.

The remaining $46,000 would go toward creating a scholarship program through the Office of Financial Aid. Tentatively named the New Culture of Leadership Scholarship, it would provide two years of financial aid money for need-based students who meet criteria set by ASMSU, Finance Committee Chairperson Gonzalo Martinez said.

Martinez said the only criteria the committee discussed included recipients showing leadership prior to attending MSU or while on campus.

ASMSU would look into creating an Alumni Challenge to match the total $76,000 dollar contribution, Dysarz said. If ASMSU receives at least $30,000 for the new scholarship program, it will become an endowment, allowing it to continue past the proposed two-year period.