Local businesses offer student discounts
LeAnn M. Dickens
Posted: 2/9/07

Whether it's obvious or not, being a poor college student has its perks.

More than 40 local businesses give discounts and offer specials to Marshall students, but many students claim to know nothing about them.

"I wish that Marshall would have informed us of all the businesses in Huntington that offer discounts," April Biser, junior business major from Buckhannon, W.Va., said. "Just think of all the money that we would have saved if we'd only known."

The Student Government Association's Web site contains a list of 31 businesses that give student discounts, and 11 of 23 other contacted businesses offer deals to Marshall students.

A poll of 10 students indicated that Marshall's student body is unaware of its rights to discounts. Three of the students claimed to have no knowledge of any of the discounts listed on SGA's Web site. The largest number of recognized discounts among the remaining seven participants was three.

SGA President Ben Sandy said making students aware of available discounts was one of his greatest concerns when he entered office, but more pressing issues took precedent over it.

"One of the things that I wanted to accomplish in office was to set up a discount program for students," Sandy said. "After working on it and creating a list on the Web site, we became concerned with other issues that were more important at the time."

Marshall's SGA had put the issue on the back burner when Student Savings Club, a private company based in Chicago, Ill., contacted Sandy.

SGA and Student Savings Club, which works with more than 170 colleges in 31 states, are now working to prepare a discount plan for Marshall students, faculty and staff.

"The new business that we've partnered up with will provide benefits to students for many years to come," Sandy said. "Regardless of who is in office, the discounts will be continually updated and expanded."

Marsha Hahn, Student Savings Club's chief operating officer, explained why her company works to make college life more affordable for students.

"Our staff is made up of people of all ages, but all of us were college students at some point, and we know how tight money can be when you're in school," Hahn said. "We take real pride and pleasure in what we do when students tell us that they appreciate the discounts they receive."

Marshall will soon have its own page containing information about local, regional and national discounts within Student Savings Club's Web site. Students, faculty and staff will be given discounts at the listed businesses by presenting their MUIDs.

Sandy said the plan takes two to three months to implement and will be ready before the beginning of the fall semester.

Sandy said he believes offering student discounts is beneficial to both the Marshall community and the city of Huntington.

"Providing student discounts works for all parties involved," Sandy said. "The businesses get more business, and the students will have more of an opportunity to get out and do more for less in Huntington."

"The students of Marshall University and the Huntington community are one in the same," Sandy said. "This is a very tight-knit community and, hopefully, this discount program will add to that."

For more information on local student discounts, please go to www.marshall.edu/sga. For more information Student Savings Club and national student discounts, please visit www.studentsavingsclub.com.

LeAnn M. Dickens can be contacted at dickens19@marshall.edu.
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