The ASI Business and Finance (B&F) Committee voted unanimously in favor of a motion reallocating $50,000 to scholarships for undocumented and Indigenous students on Monday.

A preliminary B&F budget draft recommended decreasing the ASI Dreamers and ASI Indigenous People’s scholarships by $25,000 each. An amendment introduced by ASI Chair of the Board of Directors Siddarth Kartha and seconded by ASI President Samuel Andrews reversed this decision.

Students representing the Dream Center, the Native American and Indigenous Cultural Center and other students in support attended the B&F meeting to voice their concerns over the scholarship funding decrease. 

“Thanks to the scholarship, I was able to get through my first year of college,” computer science senior Luis Guzman said. “I come from Mexico, and my parents can’t help me financially. I really come from nothing. I really am living the American dream.”

“I really am living the American dream.” 

Luis Guzman, computer science senior
A student speaks at the ASI B&F committee, advocating for an increase in scholarship funding. Mustang News | Jeremy Garza

Many public commenters emphasized that the scholarships fall short financially of covering the full cost of attending Cal Poly, including computer science and Spanish sophomore Alejandro David Villamil. 

“We don’t get enough funding,” David said. “We don’t get enough for tuition, not even including the cost of living. I’ve been lucky to be able to support myself through working, but a lot of other people are not as fortunate.”

In the preliminary budget that decreased the scholarships for undocumented and Indigenous students, other items increased, such as the ASI events budget, ASI student government workshop funds and ASI elections expenses. 

“You guys think so lowly of my people that you would cut the scholarships that ensure generational changing funding, all because of more student government events that no one attends?”

Joshua Rillo, history senior

The amendment to the recommended budget includes decreases in the funds to ASI workshops, ASI travel expenses and ASI events. 


Each year, the B&F committee makes a preliminary budget to recommend to the ASI Board of Directors to workshop and officially approve for the following fiscal year. The board will vote on the official budget on May 8, according to Kartha.

The motion Kartha introduced to amend the recommended budget included:

  • $25,000 increase to 850064 ASI Indigenous Student Scholarship
  • $25,000 increase to 850063 ASI Dreamer’s Scholarship
  • The $30,000 allocated to ASI Events from the SG budget to be rescinded
    • This $30,000 includes $15,000 decrease in 850015 Alternative Special Events, and $15,000 decrease in 850018 Concerts General
  • $4,000 decrease in 850049 Alumni relations
  • $2,000 decrease in 826005 travel – CSSA meetings
  • $2,000 decrease in 826000 Travel Expense
  • $10,000 decrease in 826009 workshop expenses
  • $2,000 decrease in 850037 student programming
  • $8,000 decrease in SG chargeback revenue from the University Union
  • $8,000 decrease in ASI Events –850012  Comedians & Speakers

Each year, the B&F committee makes a preliminary budget to recommend to the ASI Board of Directors to workshop and officially approve for the following fiscal year. The board will vote on the official budget on May 8, according to Kartha.

Jeremy Garza is a political science major with queer studies and ethnic studies minors and a reporter for The Hill. He has always loved telling stories that are itching to be told. He thinks words on paper...