Purchases & Reimbursements

Societies must request funding for all purchases through their Semester Activity Plan prior to each semester starting. Your Student Life Advisor will let you know which requested purchases have been approved. If you are not sure how much something will cost, do some research to determine an approximate estimate.  DO NOT make any purchases without prior written approval from Student Life.

Bookstore, Catering, and Office Supplies

If your society is approved to make a purchase from an on-campus vendor (e.g., food from Catering, supplies from the bookstore, etc.), your Student Life Advisor will work with the department to make the purchase. If you need office supplies (e.g., tri-fold board, Bristol board, paint, etc.), be sure to let your Student Life Advisor know, as they may have supplies in storage or be able to purchase them on your behalf. In these situations, you will not need your own money to make the purchase, so no reimbursement meeting is required.

Large Purchases

If approved for a large purchase, you can work with your Student Life Advisor to determine the best method to pay for it. To avoid students having to make large purchases out of pocket, sometimes Student Life can make the purchase directly. Again, no reimbursement meeting would be required in this case.

Receipts

When making approved purchases, only society purchases should be on the receipt. For example, if you purchase event supplies as well as your personal shampoo, ask the cashier to ring them through on separate receipts! You should also try to avoid having multiple people make small purchases. Instead of reimbursing three different people for receipts for very small amounts, see if one executive is able to make all of the purchases at one time. Lastly, make sure the receipt you bring in is the itemized receipt. This means that it shows on a separate line what specifically was purchased, rather than a credit card or debit card receipt which just shows the total amount paid.

Reimbursement Process

After an approved purchase has been made by a society executive, email your Student Life Advisor to set-up a reimbursement meeting. Be sure to provide your Humber N number and let them know if you are currently working on campus. If so, providing your employee ID number in advance is helpful. This ensures that your reimbursement will be directly deposited into your bank account. If you are not currently working on campus, you will receive a reimbursement cheque within a few weeks. You should make the appointment for reimbursement within one week after you make the purchase to avoid having them pile up until the end of the semester.