New Program Allows Students to Share Excess Caf Funds with Students in Need

In an email announcement to the student body on April 12, Dean of Students Dr. Chaim Nissel announced the creation of the YUCares program, which will allow students to share excess funds on their Dining Club cards with students in need of money for meals. The program is being run jointly with Dining Services.

According to the announcement, YUCares is being run on a trial basis, from Sunday, April 15 to Friday, April 20, and will allow students to donate up to $50 from their own Dining Club card to the YUCares fund.

The statement was signed by Dr. Nissel, as well as all seven undergraduate students councils and the two campus student life committees.

“The goal of YUCares is to give students greater authority over the way their left over caf-card money is spent and to offer students a tangible opportunity to help one another,” said Yeshiva Student Union Vice President of Clubs Amitai Miller, who spearheaded the program along with Dean Nissel and the YU Administration. “More importantly, by actively reaching out to the entire student body, students who are struggling financially will know they have somewhere to go for help,” he added.

It remains unclear to what degree this type of sharing Dining Club Card funds is different from students simply buying food for their friends on their own cards, which is prohibited by Dining Services due to the tax-free nature of caf card spending, according to a Fall 2016 email from Dean Nissel.

The announcement concludes by stressing that it is a pilot program, whose future will based on participation and suggestions made by students.