Posted Thursday, November 15, 2012 --- 11:46 a.m.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- A University of Wisconsin-Madison committee has approved using student fees to fund an atheist organization.

Chris Calvey is president of the group, Atheists, Humanists, and Agnostics. Calvey says it's about time secular students got the support they deserve.

The university's Student Services Finance Committee recently approved about $67,000 to fund the group in the next academic year. The national Secular Student Alliance says the funding appears to be the largest ever awarded to such a campus organization.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says the student council, chancellor and regents must still approve the funding. Associated Students of Madison spokesman David Gardner says committee recommendations are rarely, if ever, overturned.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.