This story was updated on Apr. 26 at 7:18 p.m.

This year, every student at The New School paid $8 each semester to fund the University Student Senate (USS). The USS is meant to finance student-led programs, events, and projects that benefit the entire student body, as well as provide compensation for senators, according to its constitution. 

The senate started off the 2024-25 academic year with just under $131,000 in student fees, according to estimates in an audit summary obtained by the New School Free Press. Even with an additional estimated $80,000 in spring student fees, the university told the USS that they only had slightly over $11,000 left by Feb. 28. 

On Saturday, a senator told the NSFP that according to conversations the USS Finance Committee had with the university, the USS has depleted its original budget.

The audit also found that one senator, allegedly former USS Chair Adam Young, individually spent around $75,000, approximately 58% of the USS’ fall budget, between July 2024 and February 2025. 

None of these purchases went towards fulfilling the estimated $91,000 in eligible funding requests from student organizations. A majority of these purchases were signed off by university administration, but none were approved by the USS Finance Committee or a majority of the senators, violating the USS constitution. 

Young allegedly spent most of the USS budget internally and on “investments” for the Student Hub at 39 W. 13 St. Purchases for the Student Hub included arcade machines, holiday decorations, and items for the wellness and banned book corners. 

Here’s what one senator spent $75,324.85 on. 

The audit findings shared with the New School Free Press grouped expenditures under several categories, which were further aggregated by NSFP. Only a few of the exact items purchased and their costs were listed. The document contains “the most detailed information” the university’s Finance and Business office “permitted” the USS to see. Some of Young’s alleged expenses were not listed in the document. 

A note in the audit findings document from the Senior Director of Student Leadership and Involvement (SLI), Andrade Fearon, states that the expenses listed were just the “main ones” they could track down. 

The note continues that prior to the current Finance Committee’s request, there were no policies or procedures in place to review and approve purchases. “Any member of the USS [could] request any member of [Andrade’s] team to make purchases on behalf of the USS or community members,” the note said.

According to the former USS Director of Finance Leo Ruales, they agreed to allocate just $50,000 internally for the fall 2024 semester, based on the assumption they had $400,000 to spend. The money was intended for senator compensation, meals, and travel expenses — which Young allegedly did spend some of the money on. The document stated he spent $1,500 a month on meals and catering but did not specify how many months or exactly who they were for. Ruales alleges some of that was spent on dates. 

USS does not receive any funds outside the student fee. Every dollar Young allegedly spent was New School students’ money. 

How many students paid for it?

About 4,707 students, assuming they paid $16 in Student Senate Fees for two semesters, funded the $75,000 Young allegedly spent.

The audit summary also listed several specific purchases, their exact costs, and what they were for. Young allegedly purchased items ranging from over $8,000 worth of West Elm furniture for the USS office to a $37 gavel. 

The New School Free Press recently obtained a document from a senator containing the Apple products Young allegedly bought for the USS office. These purchases were approved by university administration, according to the senator. The items totaled to just over $6,000. About 382 students paid $16 in senate fees to fund it. 

Purchases included a Studio Display computer that cost $2,299 or about 143 students and an Apple TV that cost $129 or about 8 students. The senator who shared the document with NSFP has been granted anonymity as they were not authorized to share the document outside the USS. 

According to audit results, the senate had allocated just $2,730 to clubs this semester, as of March 21. The senate had a little over $9,000 left to fulfill remaining funding requests but did not confirm if that had been spent at the time of publication.

Samera Shim, who took up the position of USS Director of Finance in January, wrote the audit result document. In it she suggests ways to use the remainder of the funds. It proposes allocating money toward clubs supporting people of color, helping student organizations archive their work, and funding student sports and theatre. Specific requests included $2,000 to secure a pool to practice in for The Aquatics Club, $750 for supplies for the student run theatre group Playground, and $3,000 for transportation to a POC owned retreat for Project Sankofa.

Shim said she is working to ensure a better spending structure for the USS. “We have new policies now, and we’re working to build a solid infrastructure moving forward, including a very automated system … it’ll really help us keep an eye on our finances and what we’re spending on internally.”

The university told the New School Free Press in October 2024 that they would implement a more formalized, organized, and streamlined funding request review process with additional oversight from SLI. 

When Shim first requested an updated balance of the budget, she was told by university administrators almost two months later that not only had they incorrectly told the USS — and NSFP — that the senate would receive over $200,000 of rollover funds but that they also only had $11,000 left.

On Saturday, a senator on the USS Finance Committee told NSFP that the USS has been advised by multiple university administrators that “the senate should not be spending money right now,” implying that the original USS budget had been depleted. The senate is currently awaiting further clarification from the university on the status of the original budget.

The university has agreed to the student senate to see the live number left in the USS account starting from the fall 2025 semester, upon a request from Shim. She also said the USS was working on an amendment to potentially impeach senators — especially those who mismanage funds. 

Young confirmed with the New School Free Press that he made some of the purchases detailed in the audit. But he said his purchases did not amount to $75,000.

A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that the student senate is now able to see their available budget balance. They will only be able to do so starting in the fall 2025 semester.