Student groups still hoping to request money from University Park Allocation Committee (UPAC) are out of luck. UPAC is no longer accepting new requests this semester.

The committee will consider requests already submitted, but all funds will be exhausted within the next couple weeks, said UPAC Chair Russell Martin.

"The amount of money that is available is very, very low," Martin said.

UPAC's funds mainly come from the $43 student activity fee that all students pay through their fall semester bills.

This year, UPAC had $1.8 million available for student groups. Last year, UPAC exhausted its $2.1 million in early March.

One reason UPAC's funds are being depleted earlier this year is because organizations are creating more complex, sophisticated and thus more expensive programs, Martin said.

He also said more groups petitioned UPAC for funding this year.

UPAC funds are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, Martin said. Some larger programs, such as Movin' On, request money far ahead of time in case funds are depleted in the spring.

"UPAC has become a crutch for many of these organizations," Martin said. "UPAC should be a source of funding, but not the source of funding."

Students who do not receive all funding requested from UPAC sometimes petition the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) Senate for money.

But Senate funds are low right now also, during what USG President Rubina Javeri referred to as a financial crisis at Tuesday night's meeting.

The Senate has about $620 left in its unrestricted account. The body froze $2,610 to pay student staff salaries Tuesday night. The Senate previously froze $10,000 to run the USG elections in March.

Both Martin and Senate President Bridget Van Osten have suggested students ask their academic departments for money. Fund raising is another major alternative.

Town Sen. Mike Gallo said groups who do not use all money allocated by UPAC could return it to them. The money can then be funneled to student groups who have not yet received funding.

Martin said UPAC decides who it allocates money to based partly on whether a particular program benefits all University Park students.

UPAC will consider several new policy proposals later in the semester. Martin said these policy changes could help UPAC make decisions and extend the time period in which allocations are available.