Students who take advantage of a popular and convenient campus service may not realize its rising cost.
The Tiger Card Office, which controls all operations and services of the official University identification card, has accumulated a significant debt because of the high operational costs.
At the Student Senate’s Sept. 3 meeting, Speaker Michael Busada mentioned the Tiger Card Office’s debt in his Legislative Agenda.
“Because the University refuses to charge students for the card, which I wholeheartedly support, the Tiger Card office is $20,000 in debt,” Busada said. “This hinders the office’s ability to expand and offer new services that will increase the quality of life for students.”
Busada suggested the senators write bills to recommend additional uses for the Tiger Card to ensure its solvency on campus.
Although the debt seems threatening, Contracted Auxiliary Services Director Mark Kraner said the Tiger Card Office’s debt is not a problem because it is completely covered by his office. Kraner also said the debt is not in danger of getting out of control, but he does not know if or when it will disappear.
Kraner said the debt can be misconceived as meaning the office is in trouble. Instead, he said the debt is only a result of providing a popular service to students.
While the Tiger Card Office provides each student’s first ID card for free, it does not receive any University funding. Kraner said Contracted Auxiliary Services is its sole supporter.
Kraner said he is looking to see if the Tiger Card Office can become more self-sufficient, but Contracted Auxiliary Services does not have a problem funding the office.
Residential Life, LSU Dining and other organizations who use the available Tiger Card services also help subsidize the office’s costs, Kraner said. Vending service providers such as Coca-Cola who use the Tiger Card services spend about $1,000 per machine to have a Tiger Card reader installed.
Kraner said about 50 percent of the campus coke machines have Tiger Card readers and 100 percent of soft drink and snack machines in Residential Halls have readers.
Kraner said the wire running to each machine costs about $300 and is covered by the Tiger Card Office.
“We’re not out to make money in the office,” Kraner said. “Covering the cost is our goal. The office is there as a service.”
Despite the high costs, the Tiger Card office is expanding to provide more convenient services for students.
Kraner said every food service on campus, with the exception of some snack machines and the LSU Dairy Store, accept the Tiger Card. The card also allows students access to the REC and residential halls.
During the past few years, the Tiger Card Office has expanded its service to include athletic concession stands, PJ’s Coffee, copy machines and computer lab printers.
Kraner said the Tiger Card Office is looking into working with the library, athletic department and the Office of Parking, Traffic and Transportation to allow students to pay for library fines, student football tickets and traffic tickets with their Tiger Card.
In the Legislative agenda, Busada also suggested recommending the Office of Parking, Traffic and Transportation allow students to pay parking tickets and towing costs with their Tiger Card.
Kraner said these are simply additional efforts to provide a convenient service for students. They also help to eliminate the need for cash on campus to ensure students’ safety.