With next year’s student-organization  budget to be decided this month, a few big-spending groups have requested sizable cash increases – increases to be paid for by student-activity fees, if senators don’t make cuts.

Organization budget plans were due Friday afternoon, and, while not all budget sheets were immediately available, a few clubs had already requested tens of thousands of dollars more than last year.

The largest requested change came from the campus Habitat for Humanity branch, a charity organization that helps build homes for the poor.

Habitat’s funding request – $63,440, according to a heavily edited budget form – is nearly four times the club’s $16,100 goal last year. Money sought for the group’s annual spring-break trip alone is more than double their entire previous budget.

Other items include three conferences, totaling more than $25,000.

Programming Board, traditionally occupying the largest share of student-activity money, requested $184,300 – some $12,000 more than last year.

Specific items include $65,000 for Spring Concert performers; $22,000-plus for concert security, advertising and agents; and $9,000 for a national student-activities conference, for a total budget of $96,000.

Pitt-Johnstown’s cheerleading squad, always a major recipient of student funding, increased its budget proposal as well: to nearly $43,000, from a $36,703 request last year.

More than half of the cheerleaders’ request would go to an annual national competition in Florida – between travel expenses, registration and other fees, the trip could cost some $25,000.

A few major student organizations, however, broke from the trend and requested less money than in the past. The Student Senate, which last year requested $20,100 and received $15,650, budgeted for only $11,225 this year – in part because senators elected not to attend an annual leadership conference.