This semester, students returned to campus to find that their off-campus dining accounts no longer exist; the Finance department created a new plan that merged off-campus dining and TarBUC$ into one account.
Students now have more options with regards to the use of their off-campus meal money while maintaining the same off-campus dining liberties in the convenience of one account.
An email sent out by Financial Analysis Manager Jeremy DiGorio stated, “The purpose of these changes was to simplify the amount of meal plan and assist you with easier dining options at Rollins.”
The traditional off-campus amount of $150 now goes to the TarBUC$ account, and the previously used off-campus dining account no longer exists.
Because of these changes, students have more access to on-campus and off-campus purchases, whether food-related or not.
Students can use their TarBUC$ at the pre-existing off-campus dining locations, such as Powerhouse Cafe, Ben & Jerry’s, and The Coop, while adding new options.
Bookstore purchases can now be made with TarBUC$, including Einstein’s Bagels, which was never a part of the previous off-campus meal plan.
Uber now accepts a student’s R-Card number for payment once it is linked to a student’s TarBUC$ account. This is an added benefit to students who do not have access to a credit card for Uber rides or Uber Eats purchases.
Students can also use TarBUC$ on campus at the C-Store to purchase items that are behind the counter.
This includes medications, utensils, and detergent that previously required cash, a credit card, or a personal deposit into a TarBUC$ account.
Unused funds in a student’s TarBUC$ account will roll over to the next semester, including Spring going into Fall, rather than disappearing like before.
Bria Pallas ‘20 said that she likes the changes. “It’s nice because now at the end of the semester, or during the semester at all because TarBUC$ rolls over, if I have extra money I want to spend, it doesn’t have to be on off-campus food. I can go to the bookstore and buy a sweatshirt if I want to,” said Pallas.
Some students, when asked about the new changes to the TarBUC$ account, had not realized the changes had been made, but were excited to explore the new options.
Marina Longo ‘21 said, “No way! Really? That’s awesome because now I can use my R-Card at Einstein’s Bagels instead of using all $150 at Powerhouse Cafe.”
Before these changes, a residential student who had a traditional on-campus meal plan had the following three accounts: on-campus dining, off-campus dining, and TarBUC$. At the beginning of each semester, the standard on-campus dining plan and $150 of off-campus dining was renewed in each student’s account. TarBuc$ could be added manually if a student chose to do so.
Hannah White ‘20 said that she didn’t get to experience the new changes because she used pretty much all of her TarBUC$ already on off-campus dining for the semester, but will remember the new changes for next semester.
Next time you go to purchase an item on campus, remember the versatility you now have with your spending.
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