A debit card system which would allow students to charge purchases on campus and in the community with the use of one card could be in place by fall 1996 and could help declining enrollment, SIUC officials say.

Larry Juhlin, vice chancellor of Student Affairs, said the University has sent requests to vendors asking for proposals on how they would set up a debit card program at SIUC. He said March 15 is the bid opening date, and the University will start reviewing proposals then.

If responses come in, we hope to have the system up for the fall semester, Juhlin said.

Advertisement

Juhlin said SIUC student organizations have expressed an interest in having a debit card program for several years. He said a debit card system would allow SIUC students to charge merchandise, food and other items in town and on campus by using the debit card, which could be the students’ I.D. cards. He said when a student uses a debit card, the money would be taken directly out of students’ personal accounts.

The more things we can do to provide student services, the more attractive we make the University, he said. And that could have a positive effect on recruitment and retention.

He said several companies have contacted the University about sponsoring the debit card program, but nothing is definite.

We’ve talked to them and asked them to put proposals together, he said. But, one thing we want is one card, and we want one set of hardware for everything.

It is important that the debit card allow students the same services they have now with their SIU I.D. card, Juhlin said.

He said there are many ways to set up the debit card system but said it would be hard to say exactly how it is going to be done. He said the debit card could resemble a VISA or Mastercard system with the students paying transaction fees. He said some vendors may charge very little up front and charge big transaction fees or vice versa.

We can’t be specific until we see the proposals, he said. We see the debit card as having two functions:One is students don’t have to carry money, and two is that it provides a source of revenue to upset the cost of the system.

Advertisement*

Linda Johnson, senior vice president of retail operations at Charter Bank, said debit cards are a way of the future, and the bank, would participate in the program.

We don’t see it as a threat at all, she said. We see it as an opportunity to expand our services to our customers.

Five banks in Carbondale were contacted but declined to comment.