Did you know that more than 71% of elected campus leaders get paid to serve? They rake in salaries, tuition waivers, scholarships, stipends, computers, cell phones, reserved parking, concert tickets, clothing allowances, class credit, and more.
     But why should Student Government officers receive even a dime of student fee money? Shouldn't they volunteer selflessly out of love for their schools?
     What about students who have to work to pay their way through college? They probably couldn’t get involved without picking up a paycheck.
     And what about schools where much is asked of campus leaders, including lobbying and student advocacy, not to mention managing the student union, bookstore, childcare and exercise facilities, and multi-million dollar budgets? Isn’t it desirable to attract the best students to serve in roles with that much responsibility?
     There's no correct answer to these questions in the great pay debate. But Student Leader’s research uncovered some clear trends. More than 71% of schools nationwide offer some sort of compensation. Among state universities, 85.88% of elected officers earn salaries. At private colleges, 57.5% pay their officers stipends, while 65.71% of community colleges offer tuition waivers or scholarships. The larger the enrollment, the more likely the schools are to pay: of the smallest schools (1,000 students), just 30% compensate their officers, while 87% of the big schools (over 30,000 students) pay.
     You can find the complete results of the ongoing “SG Salary Survey” exclusively here at our web site. So far, more than 400 colleges and universities have participated. You will be able to review their compensation, take the survey yourself, see who’s the highest paid in the country, and more.
     If you're wrestling with the question of whether to pay or not, what type of remuneration is appropriate, or which officers should get it, you now have the ammunition, arguments, and precedent to make your case.