A deal between the Oswego State Student Association and local businesses has created a discount card for students to use while they attend Oswego State.
The program for the cards, which began on Feb. 2, offers student discount cards in physical copies and through the College Discounts app on iPhones and Androids.
The cards include discounts at local stores including Hanabi Sushi, Fajita Grill, Lighthouse Lanes, Monro Muffler Brake & Service, Kampai and many more. The cards are valid at a large range of locations in Oswego with many different deals available, such as 10 percent off at Burger King and a free dessert at McDonald’s with the purchase of a value meal.
To receive the discount, students present the card to the cashier when they make the purchase. After downloading the app, students first need to scroll down the list of colleges and find Oswego State. After selecting that, students need to find the coupon desired for use and present it to the cashier.
An email sent to the student body from SA President Tucker Sholtes said the cards “are free for all students who pay the SA fee.” Cards issued this semester are valid until Jan. 20, 2016 at which point Sholtes said “new cards will be purchased.”
“The idea was originally proposed because my friend at another SUNY school showed me his discount card that his campus provides him and I thought that it would be a great opportunity to bring to our campus,” said Emily Nassir, an SA senator who originally proposed the legislative bill that implemented the student discount cards.
Nassir also said the cards are intended to “bring the campus closer to the Oswego community.”
She said the program has been successful so far and she fully intends for the program to continue next year. Nassir is happy with the service being provided as a result.
Nassir added that “local businesses are thrilled to have more students coming by,” and mentioned the program added more perks to being a student at Oswego State.
Senior William Affourtit said he was going to use the card and app, mostly at Fajita Grill. When asked about how he heard of the cards, he replied that he “saw the name of the app and downloaded it immediately” after reading the email from Sholtes. Affourtit mentioned that he got the physical card soon after.
He said he would “definitely” keep getting the cards and keep the app if he was not graduating in May and that he would have loved to have these when he was a freshman.
Although Affourtit said he had not yet used his card, he said he was going to use it more in the weeks and months to come. He added that he was probably going to use the app more than the card, citing its convenience as well as its “very simple and easy to use” interface.
Sophomore Sam Watkins said he wants to get a card but does not have the time to go to the box office to pick one up and that he does not go into town enough to justify it.
The physical student discount cards are available for free at the box office in the Marano Campus Center, provided you have paid the SA fee. Each student can only collect one card. The College Discounts app is currently available on the Apple App Store and Google Play for free.
