Green Fund

Green Fund logo

The Green Fund, formerly Green Fee, is a competitive grant program funded by UT Austin tuition fees to support sustainability-related projects and initiatives proposed by university students, faculty or staff. Each student contributes $5 per semester and $2.50 per summer session to the Green Fund. Funds are awarded each May through an annual grant competition. Alternatively, a limited number of mini grants are awarded on a rolling basis. A student majority committee solicits and reviews proposals and awards Green Fund grants.

Since the program’s creation in 2010, the Green Fund program generated almost 5 million in support of over 200 projects to students, faculty, and staff.

 

  Making Sustainable Change on Campus

Materials Lab exchange
UT Farm Stand

The School of Architecture used Green Fund to launch a give-and-take system in their Materials Lab as part of UT Austin's 2020 zero waste goal

The UT Farm Stand provides a pipeline to fresh, local produce as well as information about food preparation, nutrition and other items. Read more in Orange.

UT Austin Aquaponics
UAV to reduce irrigation

Using a Green Fund grant to convert two UT greenhouses, Engineers for a Sustainable World are working to grow food without soil. Read more in The Daily Texan.

UT Landscaping is using UAVs to conserve irrigation water on campus. Read more in The Daily Texan

Sustainability Squad 2017
Tree Nursery at Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

The Sustainability Squad sorts waste after football games, diverting much from the landfill. Read more in The Daily Texan and from Texas Sports.

A tree nursery developed at Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center was funded by Green Fund, as told in this 2012 article. Read more in The Daily Texan.

History lecturer Van Herd fills up his water bottle at a water bottle filler station
Waller Creek at UT Austin

Green Fund grants have established water bottle filling stations on campus, as noted in this 2013. Read more in The Daily Texan.

The Waller Creek Working Group had Green Fund grants in 2015 and 2017.

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