Students will be able to cram in a little extra on-campus study time, after senators voted Tuesday to allot $30,000 of Student Government reserve funds to keep the Hub open 20 hours a day.
The bill, which was presented by Student Body President Jordan Johnson, will extend the Hub's hours from 8 a.m. to 4 a.m. starting Monday.
Johnson said Starbucks will also be open during those hours, and the Student Night Auxiliary Patrol, or SNAP, will run until 4 a.m.
Johnson said the center will serve as a pilot program for a possible $12 million, 24-hour study center on campus, which would use stimulus funds to renovate an already existing building.
Progress Party Sen. Dave Schneider, who represents Rawlings Hall, asked Johnson if the Hub could replace the proposed 24-hour study center in order to save money.
Johnson said the Hub does not have as much space for students as a new center would.
Senators also passed the finalized version of the $14 million Activity & Service Fees budget after about 20 minutes of debate.
Some Senators expressed concerns left over from the two-hour debate during last week's meeting.
Schneider said he felt uncomfortable voting for a budget that makes SG officials' cell phone reimbursements a priority over distributing the Wall Street Journal on campus.
However, James Tyger, who represents UF's Levin College of Law, said he did not see the benefits given to SG officials as perks, adding officials needed them to do their jobs.
SG lobbyists Ron LaFace and Nick Iarossi gave a presentation describing two new potential revenue sources being discussed to make up for the cuts to education.
Iarossi said that under the Seminole Gaming Act, tribal casinos in Florida would provide about $150 million a year to Florida education funds.
A proposal for offshore oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico could also bring in more than $3 billion, most of which will go to higher education, Iarossi said.
