The Student Services Finance Committee approved two budgets Thursday — one for the Child Care Tuition Assistance Program and one for the Associated Students of Madison Student Bus Pass Program.
The CCTAP budget for 2019-2020 fiscal year was approved at $1,159,273. Several SSFC members, including Rep. Cooper Beckwith and Vice Chair Zaakir Abdul-Wahid, expressed their support for the budget.
Abdul-Wahid, however, recommended adding $7,500 to the budget for one-on-one parent consultations, a CCTAP service which garnered success in the past year. The additional funds would allow for 96 parents to receive advice and support from CCTAP during an individual session.
“I think [CCTAP’s work] is central to what we’re trying to do … to make sure that people feel connected to this campus, make sure people succeed here,” Abdul-Wahid said. “So I’m very in favor of this budget, and I think they do really great work.”
The motion to approve the recommendation of $7,500 passed 10-0-1. Then, the budget itself was approved 10-0-1.
SSFC hears budget proposals from Child Care Tuition Assistance, ASM Bus Pass
The committee also debated the Associated Students of Madison Bus Pass budget of $4,355,998. It quickly moved to a vote after several committee members voiced their support. Chair Jeremy Swanson said he thought the budget was well constructed.
“I think the fact that 98 percent of this budget is going directly to services is pretty amazing,” Swanson said. “You should support this budget.”
The ASM Bus Pass Program budget passed 10-0-1.
The committee also debated Resolution 1, the reserve reduction and Student Activity Center debt repayment resolution. The act is making its way from SSFC to ASM and the Reserve Board, and would allow the university to use reserve funds, which are the unspent funds from the budget set aside every year.
Swanson said they’ve underspent almost every year, meaning the reserve fund has grown immensely — far above the level the university deems “adequate” in case something happens requiring emergency funds. Resolution 1 would still keep the reserve funds far above the “adequate level,” but most of it would go into debt relief for the SAC. Rep. Jon Kim voiced his approval.
“I’m a big fan of it,” Kim said. “I think it’s important to note that these are reserves, not endowment … there’s no greater purpose for [this fund], it wasn’t money set aside, it was just the fact that we underspent, so it’s just money left over that would just do nothing but sit around.”
In an email to The Badger Herald, Swanson said the resolution would save UW students $136 over the next four years.
The resolution passed 11-0-1. It will go through ASM next.
