After receiving a 3 percent cut last year, Graduate Student Senate anticipates another budget cut of about 5 to 10 percent and debated options for future funding in yesterday’s meeting.

The senate collects $3,600 per year from the general fee, but with a $1.9 million deficit and looming budget cuts, there are concerns that the senate will be left unsupported.

“The bulk of what remains that can be cut is our budget,” Dominic Barbato, senate president, said.

It was proposed that the senate instead be funded by an optional fee for graduate students, much like the optional Student Legal Services fee.

With this alteration, graduate students would be given the option to pay a fee that would go directly toward the senate.While the proposal received some support, several senators expressed fear that not enough students would opt to pay the fee.

Senator Drew Pusateri said he agreed that students may not be supportive enough, but voiced his unease in depending on the general fee, saying that the senate could lose all funding.

“At least this allows us to be sensibly in control,” he said.

Other concerns about this change included possible effects on university support and the grant fund budget.

“The responsibility shouldn’t be totally on graduate students in this regard,” said senator Jennette Lovejoy. “I feel like that’s giving the university a pretty easy out.”

Other options in funding included doing a combination of opt-in funding and general fee support and making a financial agreement with Student Senate.

Further discussion at the meeting focused on teaching assistant appointment contracts, a previous pedestrian safety resolution and potential candidates for the Vice President for Creative Research and Dean of the Graduate College.