Updated: April 30, 2019 at 5:58 p.m.

The Student Association Senate unanimously approved a $1.2 million budget allocation to fund student organizations next academic year.

The finance committee doled out roughly $30,000 more to student organizations compared to last academic year’s budget allocation. The budget comprises about three-fourths of the SA’s roughly $1.6 million total funding for next academic year.

SA Sen. Matt Ludovico, U-at-Large and the chair of the finance committee, said student organizations requested a combined $4.4 million in funding. Ludovico said the SA Senate received funding requests from about 350 student organizations, a roughly 6 percent increase from the number of groups that requested funds last academic year.

“I just want to say a big ‘thank you’ to my entire committee,” Ludovico said. “They have worked very hard this past year.”

The finance committee reserved about $272,000 of the budget for co-sponsorships – funds the SA approves to student organizations throughout the academic year.

The senate also unanimously approved a resolution urging the University to grant veteran students priority course registration. Jared Awner, the SA’s director of veteran affairs who endorsed the resolution, said veteran students often worry about finishing their degrees in the 36 months they have to utilize federal benefits from the G.I. Bill.

Student veterans also lobbied officials to receive priority registration last academic year.

“I would really, really like for the University to live up to its beliefs that it is a military-friendly university,” Awner said.

Also on Monday, the senate passed a bill providing SA senators with 10 additional days to propose referenda before student body elections. Referenda previously needed to be placed on the ballot before candidate registration ended, according to the SA bylaws.

The senate also unanimously amended the SA bylaws to require first-year senators to host at least two public discussions during the academic year where freshmen can air issues they may face on campus.

The senate also confirmed about $6,000 for nine members of the GW Association of Black Journalists to attend the National Association of Black Journalists 2019 Convention in August.

Monday was the final meeting of the current senate’s term.