Saint Mary's formed a committee to review the feasibility of new options for swiping student ID cards instead of using cash to pay for campus utilities.

The cost will not be an add-on to tuition payments, but students may choose to place money in an account accessible via their cards. In this way it will act as a pre-paid debit card that students can then use to pay for necessities. The system will also be available to students living off campus.

"The biggest issue is the laundry system. Figuring out the best route for machines in every laundry room would help solve this issue," Kim Jensen, a student representative on the committee, said.

The committee plans to first place machines in all laundry facilities, equip copy machines, vending machines and the bookstore.

"We are looking into the economically best options for doing this so that all these different systems are available by using the Saint Mary's ID card," Jensen said. "Instead of having to dig around for change you can just place $20 on to your card and just swipe it."

In the next few weeks the committee will meet with the laundry contractors so work on the new system can begin this summer and the new laundry system can be introduced next year. The committee will continue to review options for adding onto this new system, but full implementation will not immediately follow the laundry system because of costs and the difficulty of integrating all of the different systems.

The committee is composed of Christine Arzt, director of McCandless Hall, Dan Deeter, director of purchasing, Sandy Vanderwerven, Shaheen Bookstore manager, Jensen and Elizabeth Jablonski-Diehl, both students.

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