By Dani Naess Hellesund
Opinions Editor
The partnership announced during the Spring 2014 semester between Bethpage Federal Credit Union (BFCU) and LIU Post resulted in a new stadium, as well as a new bank on campus. BFCU will open a branch on the second floor of Hillwood Commons. The grand opening is planned to take place sometime this fall, with “a tentative mid- October target date,” said Rita Langdon, executive Director of Campus Operations and Strategic Partnerships.
Students at Post can expect to get all their banking needs fulfilled, according to Langdon. “The Bethpage Federal Credit Union facility will be a full-service financial institution on the LIU Post campus, offering a complete line of products and services. Students, faculty and staff will be able to open accounts, apply for loans, and attend financial literacy seminars,” she said. Also, the ATM fee will be waived, according to Langdon. BFCU will replace the previous National Employees Federal Credit Union (NEFCU) bank that resided in Hillwood Commons until last December.
The opening of the BFCU campus branch is just the beginning of a new partnership between the university and the bank. BFCU sponsored the $1.5 million renovation of the new stadium, and has been given naming rights, according to an article published in The Pioneer on March 26, 2014.
Langdon said that the new bank will work with LIU Post’s Promise program and employer relations to offer internship opportunities for students. “Bethpage Federal Credit Union offers a paid summer internship program to Long Island college students,” she said.
Student reaction to the new bank opening on campus has been favorable. “I think it’s good because we still need a place to cash our checks if you don’t have a card, and it helps a lot on campus because we don’t have another bank here,” said Junior Psychology major Brittany Burgos, a junior Psychology major. Burgos hopes that the employees are patient. “I think customer service is very important,” she said.
Senior Forensic Science major and Chemistry minor Samantha Coppola agreed: “It’s nice [that] it’s going to be on campus so you don’t have to leave to do your banking. [I can use the] ATMs, I can go in and talk to somebody about my banking account, or deposit and withdraw money.”
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