The Student Service Finance Committee approved the Associated Students of Madison's internal budget Thursday at $1,264,339.
Although the final budget was $85,000 higher than the ASM asked for, most of the funding streams added were matched with cuts.
The most notable addition to the 2011-'12 ASM budget was $75,000 for a commencement speaker fund.
Despite objections that the amount should be higher to accommodate speakers' travel and hotel costs, the final cost stayed at $75,000, or $1 per semester per student.
""It's essentially $2 a year not to have an embarrassment at commencement,"" SSFC Secretary Jason Smathers said.
The commencement speaker proposal, like most made Thursday, came from SSFC Chair Matt Manes. Manes ceded his seat to Vice-Chair Mike Romenesko for a budget decision he said he was ""too invested in"" to impartially preside over.
Another addition proposed by Manes was $10,000 for ASM to purchase a bulk order of iClickers for students to rent out through the libraries and use in class.
Manes said ASM purchasing the iClickers would save students money in the long run.
""If students knew they could rent a clicker for free from the library rather than shelling out $60,"" Manes said. ""I have no doubt in mind this will be used to its fullest capacity.""
Other additions included funds to help co-sponsor two campus events, $15,000 for homecoming and $25,000 for the All-Campus Party.
Despite the items added to the budget, Manes said the committee would pay for every addition with cuts elsewhere. Accordingly, the committee cut $40,000 from ASM event grant funds.
The SSFC will hear the Wisconsin Public Interest Research Group's budget appeal Monday and Thursday next week.
