Students must use cash, card, or Bobcat Cash, not student account, for most Bobcat Depot purchases.
Students are no longer able to buy just any item at the Bobcat Depot and charge it to their Ohio University accounts.
Students are only able to charge to their student accounts to pay for replacement student IDs and university-issued clickers. Bobcat Depot will require everyone to pay for all other items — such as laptop chargers, T-shirts and bumper stickers — with either cash or a bank card.
In the past, purchases less than $75 could be charged to a student’s account, said Sherry Downs, Ohio University’s bursar, in an email.
“The university’s primary business is to provide education,” Downs said. “The student account should be used for tuition, housing, meal plan and other education-related fees.
“We are not in the business to extend credit for retail purposes.”
Although student charges at the Depot are now strictly limited, students can use Bobcat Cash to pay for their purchases.
“With the Tech Depot now being able to accept Bobcat Cash, we made the decision to discontinue the practice of charging the student account for purchases,” Downs said. “Tech Depot customers are expected to pay at the time of purchase with cash, check, credit card, debit card or Bobcat Cash.”
The change comes on the heels of the complete overhaul of Bobcat Depot that occurred this summer. Prior to the 2014-2015 school year, the shop was known as the Tech Depot, selling primarily laptops, cords, accessories and other technological supplies.
“The new store combines the former Bobcat Essentials and Tech Depot, and students can receive computer hardware or software troubleshooting and repair, purchase textbooks, school supplies and OHIO apparel in a unified retail store,” a university news release said last month.
Some students have mixed views on the policy change.
“I’m not a big fan of the change,” said Alex Bertolini, a sophomore studying restaurant, hotel and tourism. “I tried to buy something but I ran out of Bobcat Cash and I couldn’t pay for it. I always paid off my student account, so I don’t understand why they had to change the policy.”
Stephanie Gorup, a sophomore studying entrepreneurship, said she doesn’t have a problem with the policy change if the university found it necessary.
“I just think that they have to do what they have to do,” Gorup said. “If people aren’t paying their student bill, it would obviously be a problem.”
The university puts a hold on a student’s account if he or she has outstanding charges.
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