Student ID benefits are not created equal

You might not think that being in college is all that great. Classes get in the way of your social life, you're broke all the time, you can't sleep in as much as you would like and you seem to get busier every single week. The good news is that, besides getting a great education and making your family proud, there are many perks of being a student, as long as you hold that coveted student ID. Correction: there are many perks when you have a University of Illinois student ID, and not as many having a Parkland College student ID.

Granted, University students pay enormous student fees. With those fees, students gain access to legal help, membership to some world-class gyms, special funding, emergency deans, and amazing student organizational opportunities. But there is a sticking point that sits sour with Parkland students, and that is the lack of equality when it comes to getting student discounts from local businesses.

It's not unusual for Parkland students to be denied "student discounts" when it comes to local businesses catering to the University students.

Blues BBQ on campus offers 10% off of a purchase of $5.00 or more to i-Card holders only. Classic Tan offers a free month of tanning with the purchase of an unlimited membership to i-Card holders only. Culver's offers a 10% discount on all purchases to you guessed it, i-Card holders only. Even the family friendly Curtis Orchard and Pumpkin Patch has an exclusive deal with i-Card and refuses to make a deal for Parkland students.

"I really hated it when I would see a [University] student get discounts at restaurants, and then I couldn't do the same thing with my [Parkland] ID," said Daniel Morris, a former Parkland student.

The University has a Web site devoted to businesses that cater to students, featuring local stores, restaurants, boutiques and car maintenance shops. Students need only possess an "i-Card," which is the same thing as having a student ID. Although some businesses cater to students from both schools, many of them do not, or are inconsistent on how they treat different students.

"There should be some equality," said Jun Lee, a University student. "I don't see why one place would prefer to do business with one type of student instead of another."

But with Parkland IDs, there is no definitive Web site or conglomeration of sources that tell students what perks they get with their card.

Is it really important to get student discounts?

"Absolutely," said Lee. "I think students need every last resource just to squeak by through college, because most of us are really poor."

Parkland College students are in a different demographic than many students in four-year colleges. Most community college students do not live in dorms or college-sponsored housing-they tend to commute from apartments, or they live at home with their family. Parkland students tend to work more, and make up a demographic of "nontraditional" students that have children or families of their own, or have served in the military or other specialized careers.

"I think Parkland students would benefit from having the most amount of perks, because they are working students, and the kids at the U of I usually have most of their lives paid for by their parents," said Morris.

Activities Program Manager John Eby, of Parkland's Office of Student Life, said that some schools pay for student ID programs, although he was unsure if the i-Card program was one of those. "It's all about volume," he said. "It's the same reason why our [Parkland] students don't get a bus pass."

Eby also believes that if a business is offering a student discount, then students should simply ask for that discount, and if they don't receive it, they should stop giving their money to that business.

But not all is lost to Parkland students. There are many businesses that cater to all students, such as the movie theatres, which offer two dollars off of each ticket, school athletic events, which offer a lower ticket price, and most oil change garages offer a percent discount off of your total. Many restaurants will offer a discount or special for students such as a free drink with purchase.

Local business such as The Great Frame Up offer 20% off of any complete custom picture framing order, in-stock prints, framed art, and photo frames for both Parkland and i-Card holders. Kirby's Firestone on Neil Street offers a VIP special which includes an oil change, tire rotation, and full vehicle inspection for $19.95 to students. Corson Music offers 10% off instrument accessories.

Believe it or not, there are a few other student perks that are very helpful if you are looking to buy certain products, such as computers and mp3 players. Dell and Apple, in partnership with Parkland, offer a 7% discount on certain products throughout their online store to students, which might help pay off a little bit of those student loans or pricey textbooks with the money saved.

Also, if you are currently enrolled in a CSC class, you are eligible to buy computer software for a special student price as well. Parkland is licensed under the MSDN Academic Alliance Program, which enables eligible students and faculty members to access software available under the Program for a discounted price. This is very helpful to students as they can save a bundle when buying that expensive software and electronics.

So what is the difference between the local community college and the university? Both schools offer a great college education and teach to real college students, so why can't Parkland and the University be treated equal when it comes to student perks?
Why is it so difficult for the community to realize that while Parkland may just be a community college, it still tenders to college students and teaches real college level courses? Most of the students at Parkland often work many long hard hours to help pay for school, sometimes even two jobs and some even have kids to take care of.