UNC Charlotte's Student Government Association voted earlier this month to approve a resolution that could bring the Student Savings Club to the University.

The Student Savings Club, which operates with over 100 universities across the nation, is an organization which encourages businesses around campuses to offer students various discounts on products and services. These businesses include but are not limited to: restaurants, clothing and apparel locations, arts and entertainment providers. More information and examples about services students could receive discounts on are located at the Student Saving Club website http://studentsavingsclub.com

According to Pat Moriraty, president of Collegiate Services and founder of Student Savings Club, his organization will go to local businesses deemed an interest to students, and ask them to join the Student Savings Club and begin offering discounts to students, faculty and staff. The UNCC SGA will also help in this endeavor. Each business pays a fee of $295 per year to be involved, an amount Moriraty feels small in regards to common advertising fees companies endure.

Students, faculty or staff will not incur any charge for the service at any time Moriraty stated, and the Student Service Club will take care of advertising of the service. All Moriraty asks is for SGA to promote the service through word-of-mouth practices, and do other things in their power to assure the University community knows of the program.

"I've met with hundreds of SGA's across the nation," Moriraty said, "and a reoccurring struggle I hear from them is that they have a problem being relevant to the student body and finding ways to help students. We suggest one way they deal with that is to provide students a means for saving."

The resolution, now passed by Senate nearly unanimously, will go to UNCC administration members. Administration officials, which will include Dean of Students Michele Howard, and Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Chuck Lynch, will review the resolution as well as a 'good faith contract' Moriraty asks the University to sign, and determine if UNCC will take part in the program. If approved, UNCC will become the first North Carolina school to be enrolled in the program.

"I think our student body can really benefit from the city working for our students," Student Body President Ben Comstock said of the program. "We need businesses to bring discounts to our students instead of our students having to go out to find them."

The Student Savings Club resolution, PR 001, can be viewed at the SGA website http://sga.uncc.edu. The Senate Food Service Subcommittee, under the leadership of senator Carl Dizon, are now working on the subject.