dailya@lopers.unk.edu

UNK’s student government gave away tuition coupons for a limited time. Coupons were limited to one per student, except for students on scholarship or Kearney-bound students. 

During the Career and Internship Fair, students could receive a 75% off coupon for tuition costs for this semester or next semester. 

The student government partnered with the Office of Financial Aid to lessen the load of student debt and to lower student loans. 

Sunny Hammeke, student body president, said this has been in the works for years, and it could finally be put into action. 

“The campus community has been nothing but supportive to the student government over the years and we wanted to give back in some way,” Hammeke said. “One of the big things was the tuition cost going up each year, so we partnered with the April Fools’ Credit Union to allow students to not worry about paying for tuition this semester.”

Gabriel Sanchez, a sophomore majoring in wildlife science, said the coupon has already made a difference.

“I was able to cut my tuition cost by half, and it made a huge difference in how much I paid this semester,” Sanchez said. “I knew going to college was going to be expensive, but I didn’t realize how expensive it was going to be. The coupon helped me out.” 

However, what came next was a surprise to the student government.

Due to the limited number of coupons, students have begun harassing other students to get their hands on the coupons. Students who haven’t already used their coupons are targets for these pranks, and it’s only gotten crazier. 

One student reported that they were covered in honey and feathers by a student who was trying to get the coupon that they had already used. 

McKayla Hanakoshi, a junior majoring in business marketing, said the pranks are getting out of hand, and some students are just doing it because they can.

“I was on my way to West Center for class when I noticed a student getting pranked,” Hanakoshi said. “I recognized them as one of my classmates and I knew they didn’t have one of those coupons because they have a full-ride scholarship. It was hard to watch, and after they noticed there was an audience, the pranksters ran off. My classmate’s clothes were ruined.”

Hammeke said they never expected this to get out of hand.

“We are very disappointed in our fellow students for their actions,” Hammeke said. “As of March 31, tuition coupons will no longer be accepted to pay for tuition. We might change our minds if the situation evolves but as it stands, UNK will not honor the coupons so long as students can’t keep themselves in check.”