Representatives from WKPS The Lion 90.7 FM and Habitat for Humanity voiced concerns Friday to the Student Activity Fee Board that a lack of funding from the University Park Allocation Committee (UPAC) has adversely affected their organizations.

Howard Wu, representing Habitat for Humanity, called UPAC's recent cuts to travel funding "arbitrary and capricious" and said the cuts were "discriminatory against large groups."

Habitat for Humanity received $10,000 from UPAC last year to travel to the Gulf Coast region during spring break. UPAC recently announced that, this year, groups would only be eligible for up to $5,000 for travel.

Vice President for Student Affairs Vicky Triponey told Wu his concerns about funding should be directed to UPAC.

Andy Nagypal, The Lion's volunteer adviser, and Brandon Peach, the radio station's student general manager, also brought forward concerns about their funding and distributed copies of a formal appeal that detailed a history of the station's financial difficulties.

UPAC has capped the amount of funding for "media production and equipment purchases" at $1,800, which The Lion financial director Tom Shakely said "severely hampered not only our growth, but our ability to operate."

In 2004, The Lion received about $36,000 in UPAC funding, Shakely said.

For the 2006-07 school year, The Lion's officials estimate they will need $14,248 to establish a minimal operating budget that complies with the Federal Communications Commission.

To make up the difference between The Lion's estimation of annual costs and the $1,800 it will receive in UPAC funding, Shakely said the radio station will probably turn to the Funding Allocation Board, which will soon be responsible for allocation of the student activity fee, for help.

UPAC Chairman Greg Heleniak told board members to read The Lion's appeal letter so they could discuss it at their next meeting on Dec. 1.

Also at the meeting, the board decided to shift the timeline for the student activity fee recommendation. Each year, the board recommends to the university's president the amount they think students should pay for the activity fee. In the past, the board would make a recommendation in April that they would seek to be implemented in the fall semester.

From now on, however, the board will focus on what recommendation to make to the university president a year in advance. In April 2007, the board will recommend to the president what the fee should be for the 2008-09 school year.

At the meeting, Triponey said the decision to make the change stemmed from the fact the university had "gotten into a different cycle of the budget process" than that of the Student Activity Fee board.

Penn State students currently pay $57 per semester for the student activity fee. According to Penn State's 2007-08 budget plan, released at September's meeting of the Board of Trustees, the fee will increase by $11 per semester for University Park students next year.