The Student Services Finance Committee voted to deny the Wisconsin Public Interest Research Group funding for next fiscal year at its meeting Monday night.
The SSFC bylaws state that in order for an organization to obtain eligibility at least 75 percent of its beneficiaries must be UW-Madison students. Many SSFC members argued that since WISPIRG is such a large organization, they benefit many people from outside of the UW-Madison student population and do not meet the 75 percent quota.
Representative Aliyya Terry, who supported WISPIRG receiving funds, said the organization's main function is to provide students with the opportunity to become involved with issues they care about, making students the primary direct beneficiaries.
The majority of SSFC representatives, however, argued the many other people who benefit from WISPIRG cannot be ignored.
WISPIRG Chair Rashi Mangalick said she does not understand SSFC's reasoning.
""It's like we're being punished for being really successful, which is really bizarre,"" Mangalick said. ""Because we benefit more than just campus shouldn't be a deterrence from what we're doing.""
Mangalick said WISPIRG plans to appeal the decision in an effort to obtain funding.
WISPIRG's eligibility from last year is still valid, so they will continue to receive funds until next fiscal year and will be able to function normally until then.
Also at the meeting, the SSFC discussed the purpose of its Accountability Liaison position.
The liaison visits student organizations to ensure they are spending their money as pitched at their SSFC eligibility hearing.
The position is currently controversial because Liaison Brenden Leib requested services from the Campus Women's Center to audit the organization without revealing he was associated with SSFC. Many SSFC members were also not informed of the secret audit.
""I think that the groups should know if it's a possibility that they will be audited,"" Terry said.
Others, including SSFC chair Matthew Manes, clarified that the purpose of the liaison is not to catch organizations for wrongdoing, but to ensure that they are doing what they said they would.
The SSFC also decided to grant funds to FH King, a student organization dedicated to environmental studies.
The SSFC denied the Badger Aviators funding because no members were present for their hearing.
