The Student Services Finance Committee heard the budget request of the Diversity Education Specialists last night and made final budget decisions for four other student organizations.

DES made its case for an almost half-million-dollar budget, which would, along with the Multicultural Student Coalition’s budget, provide nearly $1.5 million in funding for student organizations determined to raise diversity awareness and make UW-Madison a more comfortable place for students of color in coming years.

Both DES and the MCSC will have their final budget amended or approved in whole at Monday night’s hearing.

SSFC also determined the final budgetary amounts to be given to Vets for Vets, Sex Out Loud, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the Campus Women?s Center.

Vets for Vets’ budget was cut from $27,071 to $25,271 after SSFC decided to cut $1,800 from the groups computer and software budget requests.

SSFC member Brad Ladwig said despite SSFC’s support for the group’s service, they did not demonstrate that they needed that much computer funding.

“The service being provided right now is pretty mediocre,” Ladwig said. “I didn’t think the numbers that they had justified buying them another computer.”

Vets for Vets reported only three to four people come to their office and use their computers daily.

Sex Out Loud’s budget was only slightly cut from $46,170 to $44,955. These cuts came mostly out-of-line item shifts.

“There were a lot of items that should have been in program supplies,” Ladwig said.

CALS’ budget was more drastically cut, from $12,500 down to $2,350. SSFC cut their stipend totally, cut down their program supplies and knocked their travel funding requests down from $1,600 to $950.

The Campus Women’s Center budget request of $63,240 was passed in entirety.

SSFC member Andrea Wise said the group’s claim they were understaffed was evident, and that they had proven their worth so far this year with extensive coalition building and outreach.