Radford University will be closing its on-campus family health clinic next month due to lack of funding.

While RU Family Health Clinics Waldron Hall location is closing on Dec. 21, the majority of the clinics and services provided by the university will not be affected, spokesman Rob Tucker said.

The university will continue to operate its speech and hearing clinic, autism center, child advocacy center, recreation therapy, mental health counseling and health literacy center as well as its mobile clinic.

Tucker said the closing will affect about 2,000 people in the community, many of whom are low-income and uninsured.

About 30 undergraduate nursing students will also be moved to other clinics because of the closing. RU Family Health Clinics was established with federal grant money in 2000. Federal funding ran out in September 2005. The university tried to keep the program fully operational with private donations but the financial burden proved to be too much, Tucker said.

RU Clinics Director Janet McDaniel did not return calls Thursday.

After paying outstanding expenses and costs related to closing, any remaining funds will be directed to other initiatives in the Waldron College of Health and Human Services, Tucker said. He did not rule out the possibility of the clinic reopening.

"We'll continue to actively seek other funding sources and continue to look for ways to meet the health care needs of people in the region," Tucker said.