Who Gets Paid in SG?
SG Salary Survey: What Do SG Leaders Get Paid? 1,000+ colleges and universities, nearly 30 years of national research.

Do You Get Paid to Serve?

More than 77% of all colleges and universities compensate elected Student Government leaders.

Compensation doesn't mean a paycheck. SG leaders get salaries, stipends, scholarships, tuition waivers, computers, cell phones, reserved parking, clothing allowances, class credit, and more.

For decades, ASGA has studied how colleges compensate their SG leaders. More than 1,000 institutions have participated in ASGA's ongoing SG Salary Survey, out of 4,301 U.S. colleges and universities with Student Governments.

ASGA has built the nation's most extensive collection of SG compensation information.

SG Salary Survey

What Does ASGA's Research Show?

77%

Get Compensation

More than 77% of colleges & universities offer some form
of compensation to elected SG leaders

Up from 71% in 2013

30% → 87%

Size Matters

Institution size makes a dramatic difference. Only 30% of the smallest institutions
compensate their officers, compared with 87% with more than 30,000 students

85.8%

PUBLIC Universities

More than 85% of officers earn salaries
No difference since 2013

54.1%

Private Colleges

54.11% of private colleges pay stipends
Down from 57.5% in 2013

45.6%

Community Colleges

45.68% of two-year schools offer tuition waivers
Down from 65.7% in 2013

Why Pay SG Leaders?

Compensation makes serving possible for nearly every student. It has never paid SG leaders what their time is actually worth. 

Most SGs require members to hold at least three office hours each week, but super-active officers often work 10 to 15 hours a week. Or more.

If you're already working two jobs to pay tuition, rent, food, and other expenses, those hours matter.

A salary, stipend, scholarship, or tuition waiver may allow a new member to work fewer hours and justify joining SG.

Compensation can help make SG service accessible to students regardless of their financial circumstances.

Getting Paid Comes With Expectations

Compensation obviously creates accountability. You have to show up and do the work you agreed to do. Some SGs pay at the end of the semester or throughout the term, based on performance.

Getting Paid Doesn't Always Mean a Paycheck

Compensation can include:

SALARIES  •  STIPENDS  •  SCHOLARSHIPS  •  TUITION WAIVERS  •  COMPUTERS  •  CELL PHONES  •  PARKING  •  CLOTHING ALLOWANCES  •  CLASS CREDIT

See the Types of Pay

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Decades of Research

ASGA hasn't studied SG compensation just once. We've been tracking it for decades.

ASGA's research allows Student Governments, advisors, administrators, journalists, and researchers to examine how compensation has changed over time and how it differs by institution type, enrollment, and other characteristics.

See All SG Salary Survey Analysis

SG Compensation in the News

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