HUA Finances Social Transition Fund and Uber Voucher Program at Weekly Meeting

The Harvard Undergraduate Association passed proposals to fund the Social Transition Fund and expand an Uber voucher pilot program at its general meeting Tuesday evening.

The HUA allocated $5,000 to the Social Transition Fund, an initiative that provides anonymous grants for students to purchase gender-affirming care and products to support their social transition.

“The reason that this was created several years ago is to acknowledge that for trans and gender non-conforming students at Harvard, many people face financial barriers,” said Bea Wall-Feng ’25, a former Crimson Magazine editor and an intern in the Office of BGLTQ Student Life, who attended the Tuesday meeting.

The HUA’s Well-Being and Residential Life Teams also received $500 each to support the Uber voucher pilot program — an initiative introduced last year that provides undergraduates up to $20 for Uber rides in a seven to 10 mile radius of campus.

The vouchers can be used for “two purposes: safety, which would be returning back to campus after late at night between the hours of 10 p.m. and 3 a.m., or wellness, so that could be off-campus therapy appointments or off-campus doctors appointments,” said HUA Well-Being Team Officer Sarah Bellagat ’27.

HUA Co-President Ashley C. Adirika ’26 added that while the HUA is still piloting the initiative, the student government hopes to show the benefits of the voucher program to the University.

“What we’re trying to do is have this project so that we can make a compelling case to the University that this is something that students need and something that students use,” Adirika said.

During the meeting, Omosefe I. Noruwa ’27, the HUA’s internal events manager, introduced new subgroups within the HUA called “unity crews.”

According to an interest form circulated among HUA members, “these lively subgroups are all about building personal bonds while having fun.”

Adirika said the subgroups will help the body ensure it remains committed to the co-presidents’ campaign platform of building “A United Harvard,” providing “informal settings where we’re able to get to know each other.”

HUA Co-Treasurer Tobias Elbs ’27 announced during the meeting that the Finance Team received 234 applications from student organizations requesting HUA funding for the fall semester.

Elbs said the total amount of money requested from organizations was approximately $1 million — similar to last year’s total request — and that funding decisions will be released Sunday night.

At the meeting, HUA Co-President Jonathan Haileselassie ’26 said a faculty committee had reached out to the HUA to solicit input on the College’s dean search after Dean Rakesh Khurana announced he would step down at the end of the 2024-25 academic year.

“They reached out to the HUA to see what we would think and what students are looking for — what sort of qualities and what type of person students would feel comfortable taking up the helm of the College for the upcoming future,” Haileselassie said, adding he was unsure whether the HUA would give its feedback through a focus group or conversations with administrators.

Correction: October 16, 2024

A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Vanessa Iwuoha ’26, the HUA’s director of advocacy, introduced new subgroups within the HUA. In fact, Omosefe Noruwa ’27, the HUA’s internal events manager, introduced the new subgroups.

—Staff writer Cam N. Srivastava can be reached at cam.srivastava@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @camsrivastava.

—Staff writer Adithya V. Madduri can be reached at adithya.madduri@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @adithyavmadduri.