UND “Pride” Sucks

I know what y’all might be thinking after reading that headline.

No. This has nothing to do with the actual University or their sports teams. I will be a student at UND soon, though I will always be a Bison at heart when it comes to sports teams.

This has everything to do with how I, and other UND students, will be getting our excess financial aid this fall. UND is on a one year contract with HigherOne to provide access to the aid through a third-party bank on a debit card called the “Pride” card. The contract they signed makes the third-party bank something akin to integrated sub-contractor who is considered a part of the university – so your information doesn’t  “ever leave” the university. Um, I call BS on that.

So I, and other UND students, have three choices.

1) Use the card to get at our money – requiring you to open a new account with HigherOne in which for your funds to be disbursed to you. Foreign ATM fee is $2. Yea – pretty sure this option isn’t the best, it’s by far the worst option.

2) Use direct deposit (ACH) – requiring you to use a paper form in order to get the info to HigherOne. You can mail or fax the form to them, or Student Account Services will apparently be overnighting forms to them come fall (supposedly). I’d probably fax mine – and use an account that I consider expendible and could close if compromised.

3) Receive a check by mail – requiring you to wait 21 days after UND’s financial aid distribution date. As required by federal law the university has to disburse funds within 21 days of its announced distribution date – whether that be into your OneAccount, your ACH account, or by paper check. This option is the slowest but the best option for people who want to opt-out of the “Pride” card as much as is possible.

My undergrad alma-mater, NDSU, is still doing it all themselves. While a bit more expensive and labor intensive for the school, it is definitely better than what UND is doing – and also more customer service oriented. Hopefully UND will copy NDSU’s BisonConnection idea like they copied going Division I for sports.

Later.

BTW – other places for more info and anti-”Pride”Card resources:
j5mc
“Pride Card” Info
The “No Thanks” Pride Card FAQ