On Monday, the Graduate Student Government (GSG) released the Budget and Finance Report for the first half of the 2026 fiscal year, which revealed that it has already maxed out or exceeded its annual budget in three categories.
Specifically, Events Board contributions, a body in the GSG offering funding for Graduate Student Events, has already exhausted its $10,000 allotment. Special Events — which covers alcohol purchases, materials for events, and catering services — and the Ivy+ Leadership Summit overshot their budgets by $1,476.84 and $823.60, respectively.
On top of these expenses, the report also noted that of the $23,625.00 the GSG had spent on “Beer Jackets,” only $10,519.75 had been recovered in sales.
Newly elected GSG treasurer Varun Sivashankar, a Ph.D. candidate in Applied and Computational Mathematics, characterized the figures as troubling. “I obviously was not privy to any of these decisions, because I was not involved with GSG at all when any of this was happening,” he said in an interview with The Daily Princetonian. “I don’t think there was any malice. I think it was people who did have good intentions … but maybe it wasn’t the best way the money could have been spent.”
Seraya Jones-Nelson, the outgoing treasurer, did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Sivashankar expressed a willingness to rethink whether Princeton’s GSG should participate in the Ivy+ Leadership Summit at all. “I can’t speak to the rest of the committee. I’m pretty indifferent about going to a conference,” he reflected. “That’s something I’ll have a better idea about once I look into it.”
This first step of evaluating costs is a priority for Sivashankar. “I think in my first month or so I will review expenses and roughly get a sense for where all the money is being spent. I’m going to try to see if I can cut down on such expenses,” he said.
Sivashankar went on to give his assessment of issues he currently sees in GSG operations.
“I do think the GSG makes a lot of decisions without too much input. I think that’s partly also because grad students don’t end up participating until it’s very late. You can’t keep waiting forever to make every single decision.”
Sivashankar also spoke about his priority of increasing transparency in spending decisions.
“I think students should have the right to see what the GSG is spending money on.” he said to the ‘Prince,’ concluding that even more transparency is required. “Especially if you’re doing larger expenses of $2,000, $3,000, $10,000, then you need to have a little more student participation in ensuring that these expenses are approved.”
Sivashankar added that it is unproductive to talk about budgetary concerns when most graduate students are not privy to the budget’s contents. “The information needs to be communicated better, so that people have a better sense of how the money is being spent.”
David Estrada is a staff News writer for the ‘Prince.’ He is from Los Angeles and can be reached at de8214[at]princeton.edu.
Ben Hooper contributed reporting.
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
Read More
Watson Coleman talks immigration and reelection at Princeton town hall
Elizabeth HuU.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman called for the abolition of ICE and the impeachment of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem during a Princeton town hall on Wednesday.
U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman called for the abolition of ICE and the impeachment of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem during a Princeton town hall on Wednesday.
University Librarian Anne Jarvis to retire after ten years
Clara DochertyUniversity Librarian Anne Jarvis will retire this summer after a decade of leading Princeton’s library system, and a search for her successor is currently underway.
University Librarian Anne Jarvis will retire this summer after a decade of leading Princeton’s library system, and a search for her successor is currently underway.
At the Liechtenstein Institute for Self-Determination, students set diplomacy in motion
Hannah AdamsAt Princeton, LISD occupies a singular role in international affairs as an intersection of academics and policymaking. Marking its 25th anniversary last year, LISD continues to adapt to modern-day challenges to self-determination.
At Princeton, LISD occupies a singular role in international affairs as an intersection of academics and policymaking. Marking its 25th anniversary last year, LISD continues to adapt to modern-day challenges to self-determination.