So, here’s the deal—Whatcom Community College’s S&A Fee Budget Committee, made up of students like us, has been trying to get a straight answer about how much money is sitting in the Student Activities (S&A) fund. Shockingly, after several years of asking, nobody actually knows how much is in there.
Seriously, the school appears to have absolutely no idea how much money is in this account.
The S&A fee is an extra charge most college students across the state pay along with our regular tuition, and is administered by a set of guidelines articulated in the Killian Outline. That money doesn’t go toward classes or textbooks; it funds all sorts of campus activities and groups like clubs, unions, organizations, athletics, student publications, student events, and student-led initiatives and capital projects.
The ASWCC Student Senate and the S&A Fee Budget Committee decide where that cash – upwards of a million dollars – goes every year by making calls on how much gets spent on things like sports, student government, Learning Center student tutors, and media (shoutout Horizon!).
Ideally, students should be able to see how their money is spent, and the S&A Fee Budget Committee is meant to make everything transparent.
The problem? The system kind of broke down, big time.
S&A Fee Budget Committee member, Anthony Wallace, explained his frustration: “In August, I was asking questions in regards to how much the account balance is and where we stand. I want to know, taking over and being in a voting position on a budget. I want to know what’s going on.”
Wallace explained that since the college switched over to the CTClink system for accounting a couple of years ago, getting the fund’s balance has become more challenging.
Heidi Farani, WCC Director for Student Life, put it bluntly when she explained that figuring out the S&A fees is “complicated,” and the new Business Office staff are making it a top priority.
When asked if lack of knowledge over the S&A account balances was a CTClink issue or something unique at WCC, Farani responded “I don’t know if it’s an either/or. I think it could be a combination of things that is showing itself differently at different colleges.”
This isn’t just background drama—it’s actually stopping students from improving campus.
For example, there’s a plan to install all-gender restrooms in Cascade Hall, but the S&A Fee Budget Committee feels it would be fiscally irresponsible to move forward until they know the S&A balance.
“Until they know that they have enough money to do a capital project like that,” Farani said, “they can’t move it forward.”
Some students in the committee have thought about filing public records requests to force the administration to reveal the numbers, but Wallace worries about dragging students into something they might not understand or feel comfortable with.
“While doing so could pressure administration to act,” said Wallace, “it could also put [students] in an uncomfortable position.”
Unless there’s some real progress soon figuring out S&A balances, WCC students could see more projects stalled, with students having even less say in where our money actually goes.
So this isn’t just paperwork—it’s our campus life, clubs, and opportunities on the line.
Whether you care about new restrooms, campus events, or just knowing your fees aren’t lost in digital limbo, keep asking questions. The more WCC students and their advocates push for answers now, the better chance we have at making our voices count—before a new group of student leaders has to begin the search all over again next year.
The next S&A Fee Budget Committee meeting will take place at 4 p.m. next Monday, November 24, in the Syre Student Center Auditorium. The Horizon intends to publish updates in the upcoming weeks, as the situation changes.
This article was written collaboratively by Tidricus Williams and Teegan Oden
