In spring 2003, UCSB undergraduate students approved the Office of Student Life (OSL) fee initiative, a mandatory student fee of $1.75 fall, winter and spring quarters, and $1.00 for the summer, to provide funding for student leadership development, first-year student programs and alternative social programming. Beginning with the 2003-2004 academic year, the OSL fee was available to fund programs in the three areas. The majority of the fee was designated as “alternative social programming” funds to provide monetary support to student organizations sponsoring non-alcoholic or non-alcoholic-centered activities and events as an alternative to the party scene in Isla Vista on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

Initially dubbed the Alternative Social Programming Mini Grant program, the Office of Student Life made these funds available to registered student groups via a mini-grant proposal process. The Alternative Social Programming Committee, a student advisory group representing a variety of student interests, oversaw the mini-grant award program.

In an attempt to incorporate “alternative social programming” (non-alcoholic or non-alcoholic centered weekend, late night programs) into the mainstream of student activities programming and the norm in student life culture, the program was renamed and the scope of the program expanded. In 2005, the name Alternative Social Programming Mini Grant Program was changed to UCSB After Dark Late Nite Social Programming Fund$. The student group with funding oversight is now the UCSB After Dark Social Programming Advisory Committee, commonly referred to as the UCSB After Dark Committee.

The Weekend Spotlight, a UCSB weekly entertainment guide highlighting weekend evening events was renamed the UCSB After Dark Weekend Calendar and brought under the umbrella of UCSB After Dark Late Nite Social Programming.

In fall 2007, students passed the A.S. Students’ Initiative which allocated an additional $5,000 in annual funding to the UCSB After Dark program to help defray security costs associated with student-initiated programs.

In spring 2007, the OSL fee initiative was subject to reaffirmation by the student body via the campus election process and approved by the majority. The $1.75/$1.00 OSL fee will be subject to reaffirmation again in 2011.