RSO FAQ’s

In order to apply to the Student Government Funding Committee, RSOs must:

  1. Develop and create a budget
  2. Go to the Blueprint Financial Module
  3. Click on “Create Funding Request”
  4. Complete SGFC Budget Worksheet
  5. Submit

​Once submitted, your advisor will review the budget. They may reach out to you with questions, suggestions, or items that you will need to work on with them before applying.

For a visual walkthrough on how to apply for SGFC, please click here.

Budgets must be submitted by Wednesday at 12:00 PM.
SGFC Meetings take place Tuesday at 5:00 PM
Your organization will be invited to give a short presentation at an SGFC Meeting, which takes place Tuesdays at 5:00 PM.
Find out the committee's funding recommendation the night of your hearing.
If approved by SG, funds will be in your account one week after your hearing.

* SGFC will not fund retroactively. SGFC will not reimburse groups that have spent money before your budget has been approved by the councils. Events must take place at least one week after your group’s hearing.

Yes, all RSO travel must be approved by a CLI advisor.

The travel policy applies to both university-sponsored travel and individual travel on the behalf of an RSO. This includes, but is not limited to club sports trips, activities of RSOs, and Student Government-funded travel.

In order to be approved for travel, your RSO must complete the following:

For the full Vehicle Policy, visit here.

Students must be approved prior to driving a university vehicle or driving on university-sponsored travel. To become an approved driver, students must follow the steps below. This process will qualify a student to drive on university-sponsored trips for a period of 12 months.

  1. Make a photocopy of the front and back of your valid U.S. driver’s license.
  2. Complete and sign the Student Vehicle Use Authorization Form.
  3. Submit these documents to your RSO Advisor.

All forms must be completed at least two weeks in advance of the trip in order to be processed.

In order to drive for an RSO, all drivers:

  • Must have a valid license.
  • Must be alcohol and drug-free.
  • Comply with the Student Vehicle Use Policy.
  • Limit the use of the vehicle as authorized and may transport only those on University business.
  • Limit occupancy to the number of seatbelts.

For trips over 250 miles:

  • No driver may operate a vehicle for more than three consecutive hours or more than six hours per day.
  • No student may ride in a vehicle for more than 16 hours within a 24 hour period.
  • At least one person must be awake in the seat next to the driver at all times.
  • No driving is allowed between 12:00 AM and 6:00 AM.

Approved drivers MUST be affiliated with the University of Chicago. However, this includes both undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, or staff.

Any trip that's taken without prior submission and approval of a complete and accurate Travel Registration Form, and/or the Driver Form, or other violations of this policy, may result in individual and/or RSO discipline. Also, RSOs will not be reimbursed for travel expenses if it is not approved beforehand.

  1. Log in to Blueprint, and navigate to your RSO’s page. You can use the "My Shortcuts" menu to quickly jump to your page.
  2. Open the Finance Module on the left column menu. Open the Finance Module on the left column menu. Your President, Treasurer, and Primary Contact have access. You can delegate access to other roster positions within the “Manage Positions” menu in your Roster.
  3. From the Purchase Requests tab, you can see the progress of previously submitted requests. Here you can open and view details, submitted documentation, and comments for each previous entry.
  4. By selecting the Accounts Tab and clicking your account name (RSO name), you can get details about your balance and account number.

Balance: Amount Blueprint Shows you have on account (must be regularly reconciled with Transaction Report)

Encumbered Funds: Here the system lists funds requested via PR that is not yet completed and deducted from your Balance.

Available Funds: A good operating number, your balance less you Encumbered Funds.

Opening the “Transactions” tab on your account page will list all activity on the account, including providing details about transactions that the Center for Leadership and Involvement has uploaded including deposits, copy charges, allocations, and departmental transfers.

For a visual walkthrough on how to find your RSO account number, please click here.

Below is a chart that will help you understand what documentation is needed in order to be reimbursed for RSO expenses:

Back-up documentation forms are when a student loses their original receipt. These forms must be filled out and approved by the RSOs advisor.

In many instances, you will be able to process payments without ever having to come to the Reynolds Club. We are required in some instances, to collect physical copies documentation from you before we can process your request. Examples of this include cash register receipts, restaurant receipts, handwritten receipts, non-emailed airline/train passenger receipts.

Reimbursements are the basic transaction for an RSO. An RSO member will make a purchase for the group, and then will be compensated via a check from the University. The funds are directly deducted from your RSO account.

Reimbursable Expenses

Non-reimbursable Expenses

If you lose your receipt, you must complete a Back-Up Documentation Form and have it signed by your advisor.

All income must be deposited into your RSO accounts

  • Deposit forms are available outside the Financial Operations Office (Reynolds Club Room 006). Groups must fill out the form and put it (along with the check) into a deposit envelope. Then, turn into the Financial Operations Office (Room 006).
  • All checks need to be made out to “The University of Chicago” and have your RSO name in the “Memo Line”

** Donations must be deposited separately and need to be deposited within 48 hours of receipt. Make sure to clearly mark the deposit envelope “Donation”.

There are numerous options for purchasing food for your organization. The earlier in advance that you plan the more of those options are available to you. This chart should help you to understand what food vendors you can utilize based on the amount of lead time you have.

More information on the various payment methods outlined above:

House Accounts

Our office maintains a relationship with a few local vendors with whom you can place orders utilizing a house account. For these vendors you will not arrange for payment until after your event, giving you some flexibility for short notice orders.

To use a House Account follow these steps:

  1. Contact the Financial Operations Office for account/ordering information.
  2. Contact restaurant, provide your contact info, RSO, and house account info.
  3. Complete any confirmation process required by the restaurant.
  4. After your event, submit the invoice provided by the restaurant for payment.

Browse for space options, check availability, and book events via the Online Reservation System here. Try the “Browse for Space” option and then click “Filter” in the top right corner to search by date.

For booking in the Reynolds Club, Bartlett, and Harper/Stuart, and the Quads visit the Center for Leadership and Involvement Community Development & Operations website or email them at rcsched@lists.uchicago.edu.

To contact a staff member directly, visit their staff page.

For a visual walkthrough on how to reserve a room on campus, please click here.

RSO Room Lottery will take place during 8th Week of each quarter. Forms will be available through the CLI Blueprint page and will be sent out in the RSO Newsletter. Forms are due by email to rcsched@lists.uchicago.edu by 5:00 PM on Friday of 8th Week.

UChicagoSocial: Center for Leadership and Involvement