University Park Undergraduate Association (UPUA) President Gavin Keirans faced a major setback Friday in getting funding for his proposed Legal Services program for Penn State University Park students.

The Student Activity Fee Board met Friday afternoon, voting to keep a restriction within the Student Activity Fee handbook that declares the fee is not to be used for the "hiring of legal services." That puts forth a major roadblock for Legal Services funding, which was to come from the Student Activity Fee.

To decide whether the proposed Legal Affairs program could be funded from the fee, the board voted on whether to remove the restriction from the handbook.

After a heated debate, the majority ruled against removing the restriction. The final vote tallied seven votes for keeping the restriction, four votes to remove it and one non-vote.

Board member George Khoury, president of the Council of Commonwealth Student Governments, said he wasn't sure if there was an "established need" for the program and voted to keep the restrictions.

"I just want to point it out that before we go approving another lump sum of money, we need to be consistent in establishing a need," Khoury said.

Keirans responded saying he had campaigned on enacting this program and had been elected with a majority of 52 percent of the vote.

The Legal Services program would offer free legal counseling to University Park students.

Keirans said he will not give up on the program, adding in order to approve funding the board would need to re-vote with a two-thirds majority. He said he would be meeting with board members in the near future to discuss the program.

"We're going to make sure we do it," he said.

Check Monday's Daily Collegian for the full story.