Student Discounts

Offices on campus offer ways for students to save money.

Photos & Story | Kaitlyn Seiwert

Students living on a budget are constantly looking for ways to save money. However, many students do not know of the savings offered by campus offices. Cindy Keast, Endowment Director, heads the endowment’s attempts at saving students money.

“The Blue Dragon discount card is a collection of businesses and vendors in Hutchinson (and surrounding areas). We have approximately 77 vendors. In past years we have had up to 90,” said Keast. “It’s not just restaurants on the card. There are also hair salons, other community businesses, Hutch News, [and the] HutchCC campus bookstore.”

Businesses such as Bogey’s, Midway Motors, Chick-fil-a, INeeda Cleaners, Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, and Absolutely Flowers are a few of the businesses who offer discounts year-round for cardholders.

“[The] card is not limited to one use per vendor. It can be used multiple times throughout the course of a year,” said Keast.

Over the years, the discount card has been a big hit to all ages, not just students.

“We average selling 1000 to 1200 cards to alumni, friends, students, and businesses. Anybody can purchase this card,” said Keast.

Keast encouraged students, alumni, staff and friends of the college to purchase the card yearly to take advantage of all the discounts it has to offer.

“It is good from August 1 to July 31 of the following year,” said Keast.

The card’s constant year-round savings has been a benefit to cardholders for at least 35 years according to Keast.

The college’s Alumni and Friends organization, located in the endowment office, provides multiple resources and activities for HutchCC students. The purchase of a Blue Dragon discount card does a lot more than getting it’s cardholders a good deal on fries at Bogey’s.

“The support it provides the Hutchinson Community College students is an excellent reason to purchase one,” said Keast.

At just $15, the card can be purchased in the Endowment office, campus bookstore, any First National Bank in town or Brown Shoe Fit.

“There are many outstanding places to eat on our card,” Keast said. “Offers made by businesses are up to them.”

Some places offer free fries, drink or even a free cookie. Cardholders remembering to use the discount card is the biggest obstacle the Endowment foundation faces.

“Don’t leave them in your wallets. Take them out and use them. They really will produce a huge amount of savings,” Keast said.

Keast has tried to add up her savings over the course of a year, and found she uses the card to many times to even calculate her savings. The Endowment office works as a team to put the discount card together.

“Tammy Barron, [Endowment Administrative Assistant] she is very important to the success of this,” Keast said. “She gathers all the information, makes sure it’s all right, get the cards out to whoever needs to, takes care of all the mailings of those coming. She does a great job promoting the Blue Dragon discount card for us. She oversees the Blue Dragon discount card for us.”

“Proceeds from the Blue Dragon card support childcare scholarships, part-time student scholarships, and student activities,” Keast said.“Those scholarships help students receive a quality education at an affordable cost.”

While anyone has access to the discount cards, students in housing receive an extra benefit.

“Students who live in residence halls or have meal plans receive $150 in dragon bucks each semester,” said Dana Hinshaw, Residence Life and Student Activities Director.

Flyers posted on students’ dorm rooms informs students of the bonus. The extra stipend gives students about ten dollars per week to spend at a few selected establishments.

“You can use that money at ‘Grab and Go’ in the Student Union and Papa John’s,” Hinshaw said.

Student Pizza Preference

79%

Papa John’s Pizza

21%

Blue Dragon Pizza

Students can buy Papa Murphy’s pizza using Dragon Bucks or the discount card.

197 students surveyed

Student Coffee Preference

15%

hot coffee

40%

cold brew coffee

44%

smoothies

Dragon Bucks and the discount card are accepted at the Grab & Go in the Parker Student Union.

197 students surveyed

Students in the housing are experiencing a new effort created by Hinshaw and Great Western Dining.

“Great Western is the one that does this [Dragon Bucks] at our request. When we remodeled the cafeteria, it was something the staff at the residence hall thought would be important for the students,” said Hinshaw. “We pitched it to Great Western and they said ‘You bet! How do you want to do that?’ Our IT department and them have done a bulk of the work.”

Great Western Dining serves dinner from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Several students might find this a little early to eat dinner, or they might be busy with sports practice or homework during this time.

“[It] gives kids a little more flexibility for meals. It’s great for the kids to have that option. Maybe they aren’t hungry during dinner and they order a pizza at night,” said Hinshaw.

While Great Western Dining offers a wide variety of meals, cuisine and healthy alternatives, students may just not be hungry for what is being served that day. Dragon Bucks provides students with an alternative for breakfast, lunch, dinner or even snacks.

“I think they [Papa John’s] even do wings at night,” Hinshaw said.

Some students have expressed they would like more options, but Hinshaw’s office describes the issues they face with going too far off campus.

“We’ve looked at other restaurants in town,” said Hinshaw, “but with the shortage of workers in town it’s [the system and influx of students and business] too overwhelming.”

Unlike the Discount Card, students don’t need to carry anything extra to utilize Dragon Bucks. Hinshaw describes how simple Dragon Bucks are for students to use.

“Use it [Dragon Bucks] just like cash with [your] student id,” said Hinshaw.

Because it is still a new idea and system, there have been a couple of learning and communication opportunities for students and staff.

“It’s a bit of a learning curve for all of us,” Hinshaw said. “One of the issues we have found with Papa John’s is they [students] can’t use coupons.”

One issue Papa John’s found was they were constantly making trips to the dorms or Dragon’s Landing. In order to create a more organized delivery experience, they implemented some additional measures.

“I think Papa John’s has a system where they do drop off times,” Hinshaw said.

Another issue Hinshaw witnessed among students is rapid spending at the beginning of the semester.

Hinshaw gives a warning to all housing students and said, “sometimes when we have a pot of money it’s easy to spend it all quickly. We encourage them to think about it.”

Hinshaw also found students trying to zero out their balance at the end of the fall semester. Students do not need to worry about spending $150 each semester, however.

“Money left over from fall semester will roll over to second semester, but not through years,” said Hinshaw.

HutchCC campus offers multiple opportunities for students to save money on and off campus. Students in housing have the option to use Dragon Bucks and purchase the discount card. Students off campus, community members, faculty and alumni can easily get a discount card to use around town. Dragon Bucks and the discount cards demonstrate just another way that HutchCC cares about their students.

The 2021-22 Blue Dragon Discount Card features over 70 vendors on a simple foldable card. Purchasers can use the card numerous times throughout the year.