” Everyone has heard the term broke college student. Many people are being affected by the current conditions of the economy, particularly college students. For students trying to pay for their education, it can be a struggle to afford other things, such as rent or even food.”
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Everyone has heard the term broke college student. Many people are being affected by the current conditions of the economy, particularly college students.

For students trying to pay for their education, it can be a struggle to afford other things, such as rent or even food.

The University of Akron is willing to lend a hand.

Students, as well as staff, faculty and visitors can now call the University of Akron police dispatch line and request vehicle assistance on campus at no cost.

Previously, those who needed to get into a locked vehicle or have a battery jumped were charged $15 for assistance when they called the dispatch line.

University of Akron Police Chief Paul Callahan explained that the goal of the University of Akron Police Department is to provide a safer environment for students, faculty, staff and visitors.

We didn’t want members of our campus community to decide not to ask for help because a fee was involved, he said.

Officials from the University of Akron Police Department, Division of Student Affairs and Division of Finance and Administration all agreed that making the vehicle assistance service free was a simple way to make life on campus easier, safer and more affordable.

For some students, it simply isn’t possible for them to pay the $15 service fee.

Major Newt Engle said some students used to go without help because of the fee.

$15 is a lot of money for some students. We didn’t want our students to have to make that kind of choice, he explained.

Callahan pointed out that the service is a necessary one, regardless of whether there is a cost of not.

Police received 361 calls for battery jumps and 945 calls from motorists who were locked out of their vehicles in the 2007-2008 school year.

For the current school year, the police department has received 289 calls for battery jumps and 712 calls for motorists locked out of their vehicles so far.

The university made approximately $7,000 in service fees yearly.

John Case, University of Akron’s Vice President for Finance and Administration, said that the university will find a way to fund the cost of the services through it’s normal budgeting process.

The University of Akron police dispatch line may be reached at 330-972-7123.

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