The Undergraduate Student Government senate approved a resolution Tuesday night asking the University to implement a unit rollover program in place of the Academic Achievement Award, which was removed for incoming students beginning in Fall 2025.

AAA was a tuition-benefit program that allowed students with a GPA of at least 3.75 enrolled in multiple majors, multiple degree programs or who had declared minors to register for up to 21 units per semester without additional tuition costs. Students who started at USC before Fall 2025 can still apply for the award.

Senate resolution 145-19, which the senate approved unanimously, calls on University administration to implement the unit rollover program, a project organized in part by senator Zehran Muqtadir. This would allow students to collect up to four unused units each semester, allowing them to be used within one academic year to surpass the 18 units paid for by tuition, according to the resolution.

When the University previously removed the AAA, the senate passed a resolution calling on the University to reinstate the AAA. The senate approved the resolution; USC ultimately reinstated the program before removing it again in Fall 2025.

Muqtadir said he has been in communication with Vice Provost for Academic Programs Andrew McConnell Stott regarding AAA’s end. Stott said, following the removal of the AAA, a merit-based system would be introduced to equitably serve students, though one had not been formally developed as of the beginning of the spring semester, according to Muqtadir. 

Muqtadir also said he surveyed just over 200 students last semester and found that over 60% of undergraduates were enrolled in fewer than 18 units. 

Senators also unanimously approved senate bill 145-18, which amends the current USG budget to alter funding for specific committees and assemblies. 

Among the amendments were funding reductions to various assemblies and committees that amounted to $40,500. Assemblies and committees affected by the reductions include the Black Student Assembly, the Student Assembly for Accessibility, the Student Assembly for Gender Empowerment, the speakers committee and the Trojan Pride Committee. 

Some assemblies also received an increase in funding, including the Environmental Student Assembly, the First Generation Student Assembly, the International Student Assembly, the Latine Student Assembly, the Native American Student Assembly and others. 

Chief financial officer Avery Horton said she and chief programming officer Ali Edmonds had met with various assemblies and had them present their fall events and success rates, their spring events that had already occurred and future events. Horton said she then evaluated whether each assembly would make the most out of their budget. 

Senator Kevin Hoang asked about the reduction to the SAA and where the money was being redistributed to. 

Horton said the SAA had scheduled an event they were no longer able to put on and did not have a plan to use their remaining funds. 

“Ali and I both thought it would be in their best interest that we decrease their budget because, if the year ends and they didn’t use their whole budget, that opens [them] up to receive a bigger [budget] cut next year,” Horton said. “It’s better to show more utilization of less money than less utilization of more money.” 

During the meeting, senators also unanimously approved SB 145-20, which changed the name of the Undocumented Trojan Success Assembly to the Immigrant Trojan Student Assembly and updated the assembly’s logo.

In Spring 2025, the then-Undocumented Trojan Success Assembly began its first year as a USG-recognized assembly.

Senator Moy Valdez said the two main reasons for the change were inclusivity and safety. 

“We want to make sure that we include the entire immigrant community and make sure that allies and friends from other organizations are open to events and general meetings, as well as safety,” Valdez said. “There are a lot of recent events that would make labelling yourself as undocumented a little bit more hazardous.”