The Undergraduate Council has scheduled a special meeting tonight for student groups to appeal fall grant decisions. But several groups said they haven't even been notified about the status of their applications.

The finance committee completed its deliberations earlier than ever this year, and scheduled the 10 p.m. meeting tonight in an effort to prevent the drawn-out floor fights which have plagued the annual council grants meetings.

"Because [the grants package] was out so early everyone on the council had a chance to look at it and discuss their problems with us this week," said finance committee Chair Jamila A. Braswell '94.

But some student leaders are saying that they can't file appeals because the council hasn't even told them the status of their grant applications.

Time is running out for student groups to prepare their appeals, as many of them learned only last night that they needed to and only when called by The Crimson.

Braswell said the committee sent out letters informing groups of their grant recommendations last week. She said most if not all student groups have been notified, but acknowledged that some groups may have been "neglected."

She said that finance is the smallest council committee. "We do ten times the amount of work, so sometimes things slip through," Braswell said.

But the leaders of at least two groups whose grant applications were completelydenied said they had not received notification asof last night.

CityStep Executive Producer Allison S. Bryant'94 and Harvard Computer Society PresidentJefferson C. Tarr '94 both said that they had notheard from the council.

"I plan to appeal this recommendation," Tarrsaid. "I don't understand the decision and I'mvery surprised that the U.C. doesn't want to helpto educate Harvard to keep it technologically upto date."

CityStep grants producer Eric W. Dawson '96also said the council did not tell him about thegrant decision. "We will appeal, however, now thatwe know," he said.

Other student groups whose grants applicationshave been rejected include: Crimson Outreach, theHarvard-Radcliffe Playwright Society, the HarvardInvestment Association, the Leverett House Grille,and the Del Sur Latino Issues Magazine.

But council President Carey W. Gabay '94 wasoptimistic, saying he expected fewer than fivegroups to appeal the committee's report.

The full council will meet on Sunday for afinal vote on the entire grants package submittedby the finance committee.

"It's not like we're here to cut groups down,"Braswell said. "We're providing a service, andthis year we're especially targeting groups whichwe'd like to help move towards self-sufficiency."

Braswell said student groups were deniedfunding either because they were not officiallyrecognized student organizations or because thecommittee decided that they had sufficient sourcesof funding besides the council.

"If you have the money, spend it, and whenyou're in real need, come to us," Gabay said.

While some groups were denied grantsaltogether, other groups may receive hundreds morethan they requested.

The Environmental Reporter requested $100 butthe committee recommended a grant of $900. TheHarvard-Radcliffe Ballet Company requested $300but could get $500.

"There were groups who filed for grants fromseveral sources, and maybe they got 'negged'elsewhere so we took that into consideration whenwe got to those applications," said Gabay, who isalso a member of the finance committee.

SafetyWalk received the largest grantrecommendation--$780 for volunteer training andraincoats, and a $900 loan.

In total, the committee recommendeddistributing $32,511 in grants and $2,400 inloans. The council distributed $41,000 in grantslast year after a lengthy meeting