In two almost unanimous votes, Student Senate approved an allocation and budget that were introduced at last week’s meeting.

With little discussion of either, next year’s Information Technology Fee budget was approved. The significant changes were a shift of funding for D2L from the student fees to being taken primarily out of Learning and Technology Services budget.

Information Technology Commission Director Christian Paese said that would free up money to be used to pay for any unforeseen technology costs or purchases not in the budget.

“It allows for the commission to have some discretionary funding,” Paese said.

The budget was approved by a vote of 27-1-1, with one nay vote and one abstaining.

The change in the biking infrastructure allocation lowered the amount of money spent on putting in new bike parking and establishing bike lockers to reflect the changes in the plan which dropped covered bike parking by the nursing building.

That change was passed with a vote of 27-0-2.

Student Body President Sam Fish introduced a resolution in support of the Federal Perkins Loan Program.

Fish said the loans provide over $1 million dollars to Eau Claire for students who need more than the usual federal loans can provide.

“It’s essentially us saying ‘yes, we need this, this is good,’” Fish said. “And then sending it to our local legislatures.”

Fish said the program is a safety net for students, but it will expire Sept. 30, 2015 if not reapproved and no one in Washington is really discussing it.

He said that the university of Wisconsin systems student representatives for approval also, and if passed would have over 20 schools supporting it.

Many student government representatives across the nation have passed resolutions and sent them to Washington in attempt to push it along, Fish said, and there are “students who need this to go to college.”