More food chains and stores in Jacksonville are offering student discounts in hopes of gaining a larger student consumer base while helping students save money.  These establishments hope to draw college students off campus to purchase their products and dine in or carry out.

Eleven establishments off campus have allowed students the opportunity to spend more while saving money. Among these establishments are businesses such as Gate Petroleum on both Merrill Road and University Boulevard and  CVS on both Merrill Road and Rogero Road. Eateries that accept Dolphin Dollars include Subway, Burger King and Taco Bell each on Merrill Road. Other establishments are Sonny’s Real Pit Bar-B-Q and Royals Pizza off University Boulevard and Casablanca Cafe & Pub, formerly Saucer’s Italian Cafe, located off Cesery Boulevard.

A significant expansion has given students more incentive to go “cashless” this spring, as 27 new locations in the greater Jacksonville area now accept Dolphin Dollars, a campus debit plan, for the first time. Some of the new establishments include restaurants and stores within the St. John’s Town Center, such as Five Guys Burgers and Fries, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Applebee’s, Libretto’s Pizzeria and CVS.

Sometimes it can be nice to get away and eat a meal off-campus to get a break from the campus dining halls. In a short drive down Beach Boulevard or University Boulevard, many establishments now accept Dolphin Dollars. To look up the full list of restaurants and stores accepting Dolphin Dollars students can go to judolphin1card.com

The new system features lower commission rates and a more streamlined process that allows payment to go straight to the participating establishment’s bank account, increasing the program’s appeal to merchants.

The new program has been well received by merchants both new and returning.

A college education is one of the biggest investments a family will ever make.  In these difficult economic times, it’s more important than ever to make sure students are getting the best educational value possible.  Some might assume that a private college or university would be cost prohibitive, but don’t be too hasty.  The fact is private institutions tend to offer many more merit-and-need-based scholarships than their public counterparts. Jacksonville University has an especially long history of reaching out, being inclusive and providing financial aid packages that are tailored to family circumstances.

To the uninitiated, the financial aid process may seem intimidating and daunting, but college financial aid officers will work with you to build a package that addresses your needs.  Financial aid refers to the total amount of funding a student receives from all sources – federal, state and institutional.  Aid takes many forms, including scholarships, grants, loans and campus employment.  Some financial aid is need-based and some is merit-based e.g., based on the students grades and SAT scores.

Campus employment can round out a financial aid package.  The Federal Work-Study Program makes campus employment opportunities available to those with financial need; the funds are paid directly to the student in exchange for hours worked and can be directed toward living expenses, books or tuition.  Jacksonville University also offers campus employment opportunities that are not based on financial need.

Students should submit the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) as soon as possible after Jan. 1. Many types of non-federal aid are based in part on the FAFSA.  Colleges have specific deadlines for financial aid applications, some as early as February, so it is necessary check with the financial aid office to in order to stay on track.

This point can’t be stressed enough – submit the FAFSA and JU financial aid applications as soon as possible.  Schools need time to process information and prepare financial aid packages.  Don’t let the time or money run out.  Some may be need to check if they are selected for verification which may require an extra step.

Every family should apply to find out if they are eligible for aid, regardless of their economic circumstances.  Each situation is unique.  Income, family size, the number of children attending college, the cost of the selected college, unusual medical expenses and other factors all enter into the equation.  In fact, filing is required for any state aid.  The state needs to know where college students attend in order to prepare financial aid packages.

Applying for financial aid is free.  The best source of information is JU’s financial aid office and website.  The staff there can tell students about the schools’ own resources, as well as state and federal programs and sources of private funding.

Students with the initiative and the time to surf the Internet can find many private funding sources.  Civic, religious, community and special-interest groups often award scholarships based on essay competitions, volunteer service and membership in the group or some criteria.  These awards may not represent huge amounts of money but every little bit helps.

While the cost of tuition, room and board and books can certainly add up, it’s important to remember that a college education is your best investment in the future.  And despite all the hype about the high cost of private schools today, a quality higher education can be surprisingly affordable.  Careers, lifelong friendships and interests, are launched during these four formative years.  The right education is a valuable investment that yields a lifetime of dividends.  Just ask Mayor Alvin Brown, who graduated from JU, and as student here started his network of friends and colleagues, some of whom are still by his side today helping run the City of Jacksonville’s government.

Public universities with shrinking budgets and higher than ever demand are stretched thin.  As a result, their aid packages rely more on student loans and work-study funds than grants and scholarships.  Private universities, on the other hand, still enjoy sizable endowments that can make up the difference when need-based aid falls short.

On any given work day you are as likely to find Financial Aid Assistant Director Joan Davis helping students at the front desk as many are to find her hard at work at her own desk. The reason for this is that Davis believes that a financial aid department must be both “student centered and student driven” and what better way to keep it that way then to have an advisor spending some time each week providing direct service to students.  Simply put, Davis must have her finger on the pulse of the needs of prospective and enrolled students and their families, and strive to put processes in place to consistently meet or exceed those needs.

To put it plainly the role of the financial aid office in private colleges and universities has fundamentally changed its focus from supporting a national goal of universal access and choice in higher education, to supporting institutional enrollment and net tuition revenue goals.

But what, precisely, have those changes been?  Aid officers have always had to balance the competing demands of multiple masters: students and parents, sponsoring agencies (e.g., government and donors), and the institution that writes their paychecks.  They have always had to serve both as good counselors and effective stewards of funds.

Aid professionals are becoming their institutions’ pricing experts in a competitive and complex market environment.  In addition, they must manage this new role with increasing dependence on technology, and frequently with limited resources.

The carefully coordinated circle of counselors include Financial Aid Director Breanne Simkin and Associate Directors; Charles Moore (student athletes and orthodontics) , Amber Dupree (online nursing students), Julie Wright (A-Go), Teresa Singletary (Gr-O), Joan Davis (P-Z), Chris Lichi (graduate and accelerated degree program), Debbie Bridier, and Student Employment Coordinator Jessica Spear.

The fundamental philosophy guiding JU’s financial aid is that no student should be denied due to the lack of financial resources.  Financial aid eligibility is determined and awards (grants, loans, work-study and scholarships) made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age or disability.  JU is committed to assisting eligible students in obtaining financial assistance to meet primary financial need and secondary costs of education. Room, board and personal expenses are considered in the cost of attending and financial aid packages are offered based on availability of funds.