We’ve probably heard it before that Rowan University, located in Glassboro, New Jersey, greatly enhances the surrounding economy.

But it’s true, and students actually do it through a surprising medium: Their Rowan ID card. According to a recent press release through Rowan’s office of media and public relations, students spend more than $5 million locally just through the Rowan Bucks and Dining Dollars program. In January alone, students spent $1 million.

It’s easy to underestimate a student’s power in the economy. After all, there’s the famous trope that we’re all, “Broke college students.” While that might be true, our minimalistic spending has clearly aided local businesses, thus bolstering the economy, which ends up coming back to help us.

Here are the top five Rowan card benefiters:

1. Zallies ShopRite
2. 7-Eleven
3. K-Mart
4. Samurai Hibachi Steak House
5. Chickie’s & Pete’s

Here are some other figures from the release: A 2015 Rowan-commissioned study found that Rowan had an economic impact of more than $108 million in Glassboro alone. Statewide, that figure sits at $1.2 billion per year.

The Whit frequently reports on events which attempt to merge the Glassboro and Rowan community. Rowan Boulevard is another manifestation of the university doing just that. Just walk into Chickie’s & Pete’s — during the day, more than half of the patrons are clearly not college students. Lately, Girl Scouts have stationed themselves outside to sell cookies. Older men and women frequently stroll down the boulevard with their pets.

Well, so what? The growth that’s been happening around campus, while it can cause traffic and sometimes unnecessary headaches, is clearly working. Working in the sense that students are taking advantage of the new businesses — Chickie’s and Pete’s is just one example.

The kicker? A lot of it is done simply though our Rowan Card. Rock on, Profs. Your spending matters, and our college wouldn’t continue to grow without it.

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