BengalCard Plus Announcement

September 23, 2011

We are pleased to announce a cooperative program between ISU Credit Union and Idaho State University called the Bengal Card Plus.  Idaho State University and ISU Credit Union have jointly developed a University ID card, which combines the features of the existing University ID card such as keyless building access, library privileges, and access to meal plans with a MasterCard Debit Card that can be used to access the cardholder’s checking account to make purchases off campus. Learn more about the Bengal Card Plus.

      Only an elite handful of credit unions and universities nationwide have adopted this unique solution to providing a single card for use by faculty, students and staff on and off campus.  Only ISU Credit Union was able to provide a MasterCard solution in answer to the University’s decision to adopt MasterCard as the official card accepted at the University. The design of the new card is a combined effort of a group that included ISU Credit Union, staff and students at Idaho State University. 

     It makes sense, especially with the budget cuts in higher education for Idaho State University to leverage every opportunity to generate additional revenue.  The Bengal Card Plus is one such opportunity that provide’s ongoing revenue to the University from the use of the Bengal Card Plus in the community.  ISU Credit Union will share revenue generated from the use of the Bengal Card Plus for ongoing support of student services and scholarships.  As the cards are used, especially where Idaho State University has a presence, business owners will be even more aware of the positive economic impact of Idaho State University.

     The Bengal Card Plus is another of a series of considerable commitments ISU Credit Union has made to the University that began with the Credit Union’s founding by staff at Idaho State College in 1952.  ISU Credit Union provides $8,000 in scholarships to students each spring, $2,000 of dual enrollment scholarships for high school students, a Professional Development scholarship to a staff member each year, and is involved in sponsoring many clubs and events at the University such as the Rugby club, TRIO/STEM, College of Technology, the Oboler Library, the ISU Cares program and the ISU Advertising Federation and of course, most recently, the new football turf at Holt Arena.

     ISU Credit Union has built a new high tech branch in the Pond Student Union Building to serve the faculty, students and staff of Idaho State University.  This branch features a unique service philosophy, ‘dialogue banking’, that eliminates teller lines and allows members to actually see and participate in transactions on their account by working side by side with Credit Union team members.