Expanded service delivery to students creates need for cards in this untapped market

by Andy Williams, Contributing Editor

Nearly half of the nation’s undergraduates haven’t had the same level of access to a campus card. That’s an untapped and underserved market that includes 11.5 million students. That’s how many attend community colleges, junior colleges and technical schools. These institutions have been far slower to embrace advanced campus card solutions, but this appears to be changing.

The student demographics at community colleges are different as are the infrastructure and service needs. In the past these differences lessened the perceived need for many card applications. Today, however, changes in the educational system landscape are bringing these campuses closer to their university counterparts.

Take housing for example. According to the American Association of Community Colleges, only about 25% of these institutions offer on-campus housing. Some mainstay card applications, such as dorm access control and laundry payments, center on housing environments. But these needs haven’t been felt at the majority of community colleges. Similarly, campus dining and meal plan needs have also been significantly less in these environments.