With Belmont’s tuition and fees rising, students' wallets need a break. Now Bruins can receive special offers and discounts from several local restaurants, auto services, dry cleaners and other businesses.

“Every student at Belmont is already eligible for these discounts,” SGA treasurer and president-elect Price Rainer said.

The SGA is sponsoring the Student Savings Club, a national retail discount program based in Chicago. Participation in the club costs nothing for students or Belmont. Offers include things such as a free drink with the purchase of a meal at San Antonio Taco Company and a medium pizza for $5.99 at Domino’s.

Students, faculty and staff need only show their ID to a working employee to have the discount applied to their order.

These discounts have been in effect for over a year but have not been advertised before.

“Daniel Shumate, the president of SGA two years ago, enrolled the student body in this program toward the end of [the spring 2006 semester],” Rainer said. “During the transition to our current president, it got lost in the shuffle so our administration wasn’t aware of the program.”

Now that they’ve rediscovered the Savings Club, SGA has started promoting the discount opportunity.

Tennessee State University is the only other school in Tennessee in the program. However, there are more than 170 member colleges in more than 30 states, with new schools joining each month.

Rainer said that if the club is promoted and more students take advantage of the discounts, more businesses might offer discounts. Jeff Merriman, a program coordinator for Student Savings Club, will work with Belmont students’ favorite businesses to help students save money and give the businesses an opportunity to attract student clientele. Students who have a specific local business they would like to see make it on the discounts list should approach an SGA officer or contact Merriman.

“Eventually, the information will get to us, so it is probably easier to send it directly to me at jmerriman@studentsavingsclub.com,” Merriman said. “In order to invite a new business to participate, we need three things: business name, business address and business phone number.”
Rainer recommended students, at least initially, print the pocket guide list of participating businesses found on www.StudentSavingsClub.com and bring it when using the business’s service.

The offers are not like coupons for one-time use.. They are good as many times as you use them, through April 2008. At that time, Rainer plans on making sure Belmont continues to stay a member.