"We don't say how much can we squeeze each group down to. We say how much can we possibly give this group," said FiCom vice-chair John P. Marshall '01, a Pforzheimer House representative.
Next year, the squeeze may prove even tighter.
This year, FiCom has about $107,000 to allocate to student groups. But next year, the committee will have only $91,000, according to Seton.
This is because new accounting processes are not expected to produce unforeseen windfalls such as the ones that inflated the council's budget this year, council members have said. In addition, every year fewer students decide not to pay their term bill.
Under the current criteria, grants are given to student groups to help them pay off their debts.
Council Treasurer Sterling P. A. Darling '01, who described the failure of the term-bill increase like "someone tapping on the house of cards," said he thinks the council needs to rethink its rules for grants--especially with the tightening financial situation next year.
The current system gives preference to student groups that need to pay off debts.
"To say to a student group, 'We'll only give you money if you don't have any money,' doesn't encourage them to be solvent," he said.