Office of Student Life
Residence Hall Advisory Council
An Involved Living Organization

RHAC Grants

What are RHAC Grants?  

RHAC grants are an allocated source of funding dedicated to supporting on-campus involved living organizations, and programs looking to improve residence life on campus by focusing on any of RHAC’s five pillars:  

  1. Creating and Developing Community 
  2. Student Advocacy 
  3. Student Development and Wellness 
  4. Student Belonging
  5. Recognition and Leadership  

You should only apply for a RHAC grant after submitting your program for approval through StarRez. You will need to upload a screenshot of your StarRez Event Form showing that you have supervisor approval when submitting a RHAC Grant.


Who can apply to RHAC Grants? 

Currently RHAC Grants can be awarded to resident/community advisors (RAs/CAs), community councils, National Residence Halls Honorary (NRHH) and HRE senior staff members.  


How much funding can I receive? 

Each grant is eligible to receive up to $1,000 per program. Funding is granted on a first come first serve basis, according to what elements your programs contain. Funding requests may be subject to change based on the concerns and questions we may have about quantities of certain items including food, transportation, materials/supplies, prizes, people, and other categories. 


How far in advance should I apply? 

Ideally, you should apply for your grant three weeks before your program to account for extra time for suggested alterations to the event regarding budget or purchasing items. The finance committee will review all grants Tuesday evening so submitting at least 14 days prior to your event is required for approval to allow for at least 2 finance committee meetings. Funds will be distributed on a rolling basis per month so there is an incentive to apply early. 


What does the timeline for getting grants approved and receiving funding look like? 

Grants are due at least 14 days before your event. No exceptions.  

  1. The finance committee will review each grant proposal and return it via email by the end of day Wednesday. 

  2. If there are any alterations or questions proposed by the committee, responses are required by the following Tuesday before 6:00PM with another response from our committee. For example, this means if your program was submitted on a Wednesday, you will hear back the following Wednesday regarding any suggestions or approval.  

  3. All receipts must be submitted within two weeks following the completion of the program. Note that failure to submit the form and all receipts within this period will result in no reimbursement. Please allow at least one week to process receipts for audit and approval. An email alert will be sent to notify the recipient that a journal entry has been submitted and should appear in their account within two weeks.  

RHAC Grant Guidelines: 

  • RHAC grant funding is only intended to be used for students currently living in Ohio State’s residence halls on the Columbus campus 

  • Your request and all its contents must abide by the OSU student code of conduct 

  • Gift cards may not be purchased from any business that sells any alcohol or illicit substances. Please reach out directly to Siddhi Shah.1833 for specific instructions if you are looking to get vouchers for the Columbus North Market  

  • Any monetary or material goods from your program must directly benefit the student (we cannot provide funding nor materials for donation) 

  • Students cannot be charged monetarily or required to provide goods to participate in a program that utilizes RHAC grant funding as a resource  

  • Funding eligibility is limited to that which was listed above. If you do not qualify, please consider other resources such as USG or CSA funding or apply for a RHAC collab. 


Tips and Tricks: 

  • Apply early! Allowing more time for review will allow more ability to tweak the event to adhere to RHAC funding distribution. It gives you a better chance of getting the full amount of funding requested 

  • While a flyer isn’t required, it is valued and will be looked at in the overall picture of the program proposal. Make sure any graphics/flyer complies with the accessibility guidelines set by Ohio State. This includes but is not limited to font type readability, font sizing, color scheme, etc.

  • Have links to all expenditures if possible. It’s helpful for the committee to get a visual on the items you are looking to purchase, or have more context to provide suggested alterations, if necessary, instead of outright denying requests. 

  • Selecting all pillars in your proposal does not make you more eligible for funding. Focus on 1-2 of our pillars and indicate how your program connects to them thoroughly. 

  • One of RHAC's initiatives is to shop from smaller and local businesses. While we live in a world where premium shipping times have become the norm, we urge you to consider the spending power you hold as a consumer. Planning ahead for programs allows for buffer time in longer shipping times. The finance committee is working to create a list of business suggestions that fall under this initiative.  

  • For events containing food, think about how you can be accommodating to dietary restrictions or provide alternative options. (Vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, dairy free, nut free, common allergens, etc) 

  • See where else you can utilize discount codes, seasonal sales, bulk purchasing, or student discounts! Ohio State provides partnership with Coca-Cola to receive grants for free beverages. 

  • Most programs require senior staff approval on your attached programming form for RHAC to be allowed to distribute funding. Try and ensure that this approval has been granted, whether fully approved or approved with reservations. 


Please make sure you've read all of the above requirements before submitting a RHAC Grant

Apply for a RHAC Grant now!