Connections can be used at all on-campus dining locations, the Campus Store, and vending machines (including the Campus Mini Mart). They can also be used at many off campus locations. Some examples are Applebee’s, Moes’s Southwest Grill, CVS Pharmacy, Friendly’s and BRU 64. SUNY Cortland’s auxiliary services webpage shares more specific locations that connections can be used at.
Connections can be a useful feature for students who live on and off campus. It is extremely easy to add connections into your student account. Students can download the GET Mobile app to add money and see their Connections balance. Once you add money to connections, it stays in your account until you graduate. Connections do carry over from semester to semester. If you still have money in your connections account when you graduate or if you withdraw from school, you can fill out a form to have connections refunded. However, balances under $25 will not be refunded.
Emily, a junior and a tour guide, recalls talking about connections while giving tours to prospective students. “I always felt connections was an amazing resource SUNY Cortland offered to the students. I make sure to highlight it when giving tours because parents love the idea of giving their children money and knowing they will be able to spend that money on and off campus. They especially love the idea that the locations it can be used in are mostly food related. It is also always nice to add that unlike dining dollars, Connections carry over to the next semester.”
Cass, a junior and employee at The Bookmark – Memorial Library has had a lot of experience with Connections. “People come into Bookmark and use Connections all the time, especially towards the end of the semester. A lot of people are graduating and want to use them up or many people use connections after they run out of dining dollars.”
Cass also stated her personal experience with connections, “I used them all the time, I enjoyed having them. It was a straightforward process to add them to my account too. Once I used all the money I added, I decided not to add more. A positive of connections though is that they are not taxed. And it was nice when I didn’t want to use my debit card, especially since most dining places on campus are cashless.”
Student’s perspectives on connections seem to be split. Some love them and some do not really see the purpose. Katelyn, a junior, shared her experience with connections. “I used Connections once. I loaded $15 onto my account but I just felt it was easier to use my debit card”.
There are also several students on campus that have never used connections or don’t even know what they are. Haley, a junior, stated, “I honestly have no idea what connections are.”
It is not mandatory for students to use or try connections, it is a student’s personal choice. It seems that many students choose to try connections their first semester or first year here on campus or never learn how to use it.