The battle for students' access to free legal representation continued at Wednesday night's UPUA meeting.
The University Park Undergraduate Association (UPUA) endorsed a $2 to $5 increase in next year's Student Activity Fee, provided the money would be allocated for its proposed legal services program.
The policy comes in response to the Student Activity Fee Board's recent subcommittee meetings where a $2 to $5 potential increase was discussed, said UPUA Chairman of the Assembly Ralph Crivello (senior-chemical engineering). Each student at University Park currently pays $74 per semester for the Student Activity Fee.
The program would offer free legal consultation to students, including access to lawyers and legal advisers.
"It's what we need," UPUA President Gavin Keirans (junior-business management) said of the increase and the program. "We never want to increase fees, but $2 is not a bad bargain for students."
Twenty-one of the 27 UPUA members who voted at last night's meeting endorsed the policy. Four members abstained from voting and two members voted against it.
One of those two members was Samantha Miller, UPUA governmental affairs chairwoman. Miller (junior-political science) said she was in favor of the program but wants funding for it not to increase students' financial burden.
"Maybe in another year $2 wouldn't seem like that much," Miller (junior-political science) said. "But in the current economic situation and with everything UPUA is fighting for in state appropriations, I think it's irresponsible to assume the students are willing to pay an additional $2 to $5 on top of any other fees and tuition they're facing next year."
The board will convene Friday to vote to set next year's fee and decide whether or not it will fund UPUA's proposed legal services program. Earlier this month, the majority of the board voted not to fund the program.
At this Friday's meeting, Keirans -- who also sits on the board -- said he hopes to reach an agreement so the program can come to fruition.
Keirans has been a strong supporter of the legal services program and campaigned on the issue last spring in his run for the UPUA presidency.
UPUA member Bree Pate also voted against the policy.
Pate (senior-criminology) said she was concerned the Student Activity Fee Board might view the policy as an "ultimatum" and that they might not follow through with funding for legal services. In addition, she has reservations about raising the fee any amount.
"Whether it'd be $2 or $20, I'm tired of the increases," she said.
