New program allows students to use Rensselaer ID card for purchases at local businesses

With a plethora of cultural cuisines and eateries to choose from, the menu of downtown Troy, N.Y., has never been better. Today, with the implementation on a new off-campus dining program, the students of Rensselaer will find it easier than ever to enjoy the restaurants and other local businesses that the historic downtown has to offer.

The new program, coinciding with the opening of a new student residential facility in downtown Troy, allows Rensselaer students, as well as faculty and staff to use their Rensselaer identification cards to purchase food from a growing list of Troy restaurants and cafes.

“With the opening of the Howard N. Blitman, P.E. ’50 Residence Commons in downtown Troy, we are increasing the mutually beneficial interaction between our students, faculty, and staff and the community that we call home,” said Rensselaer President Shirley Ann Jackson.

The new community program builds off the successful Rensselaer Advantage Dollar (RAD) Program, a campus declining balance account using the Rensselaer ID card. 

“The opening of the Howard N. Blitman, P.E. ’50 Residence Commons is more proof that the young adults attending RPI aren’t just students, but they are city residents and neighbors. Last Friday’s Troy Night Out demonstrated that having RPI’s students participate enhances downtown’s vitality,” said Mayor Harry Tutunjian. “The Rensselaer Advantage Dollar program further strengthens the bond between the school and the city. I want to thank RPI for instituting this program and encourage our student-neighbors to explore all that Troy’s businesses have to offer.”

The businesses currently enrolled in the program include:

• Bacchus Wood Fire
• Big Apple Pizza
• Flavour Café
• Holmes and Watson
• Illium Café
• Manory’s Restaurant
• Minissale’s Café
• Notty Pine Tavern
• Tosca

In addition to the select Troy businesses, RAD can also be used on campus at dining locations, the Houston Field House box office, and vending machines. There are no setup fees or recurring fees, and the balance rolls forward from year to year. Students do not need to carry personal cash, and they or their parents can add additional funds to the card online. The same is true for all Rensselaer faculty and staff.

This fall, the pilot program for Troy merchants will include only purchases at restaurants or cafés. The program could be expanded in coming semesters to include other types of merchants such as convenience stores, supermarkets, or retail businesses. Certain purchases such as alcohol and tobacco are prohibited on the card. 

Any student or local business interested in learning more about the new program can send an e-mail to campuscard@rpi.edu.