By Ethan Lanham and Ethan Hall
Editor-in-Chief and
Student Reporter
The Amarillo College board of regents approved a partnership with Education Credit Union to open a new branch on the Washington Street Campus.
The credit union will be a full-service, student-run branch and will serve AC students and employees, as well as the community. The credit union will give students hands-on experience in the finance industry.
The new Education Credit Union branch will be located where the Bible Chair of the Southwest Building was on 22nd St. and Monroe, directly north of Dutton Hall. “The college bought that building from the bible chair a couple years ago,” Joe Wyatt, Communications Coordinator said. “The credit union has made a commitment to the college to underwrite a $1.5 million renovation to the building. It will ultimately have office spaces, a lobby like any branch, teller windows, a parking area and even a drive-up window.”
Vice President of Business Affairs Chris Sharp said he’s excited to have Education Credit Union on campus. “Their clients will have the opportunity to visit our campus as they do banking transactions. We have a lot of great things happening at AC and want to continue on our path. People who haven’t been on our campus in a long time will be surprised by all the great changes that we’ve made,” he said.
Some students think having a credit union on campus with them get ahead financially. “Lots of college students aren’t financially stable so this will definitely give them better and more opportunities,” Halley Eddins, a pre-nursing major, said. “I personally use Education Credit Union now, and find it very helpful to deal with my expenses. They also help students save much better. Most students have trouble saving, so this will definitely be beneficial for tons of students,” she said.
But some of the students are still on the fence about the new bank coming to campus. “I’m really not excited for the construction that will come from the new bank, but I’m also not very excited to have a bank on campus. I hate banks, they’re scams,” Austin Pounds, a theatre major said. “But I’m happy that the bank will be staffed by students. It would bring more job opportunities to struggling students.”
The partnership will also include the introduction of Badger Smart, which will help with financial literacy. The Washington Street Campus branch of Education Credit Union is set to open next spring.
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