Free resources accessible to the student body

Zoe Deno
Staff Writer

Hudson Valley Community College offers an assortment of services to students at minimal or no charge.

Community colleges host a unique demographic and the college tries to cater to that in order to enhance the student experience, according to Dennis Kennedy, director of communications and marketing.

One of the services offered to students is free busing on the CDTA. Before the construction of College Suites, Hudson Valley was primarily a commuter school. It hosts many non-traditional students, many of whom don’t have reliable transportation to class.

Students have access to all of the CDTA routes including STAR service and Northway Xpress. In order to access this service, students must have their student ID with them and be enrolled in the current academic term.

Another service offered to enrolled students is the Wellness Center. All assistance offered is covered in the student’s initial tuition and is free of any additional cost. Registered nurses and a college physician are able to help student injuries, as well as offer both physical and mental health counseling.

In the lobby of the Wellness Center, free tampons, lubricants and condoms are offered to students. The condoms are supplied by the New York State Department of AIDs Prevention in the hopes of preventing disease and pregnancy.

Pregnancy is one of the leading causes for female dropout rates, especially at community colleges.

According to a recent study released by The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, unplanned births account for nearly one in 10 dropouts among female students at community colleges.

They make up 7 percent of dropouts among community college students overall. The free condoms are available to help prevent this by making protection for students readily accessible.
Even if you aren’t enrolled in an academic term, affordable dental care is offered. While cleanings are free to faculty members and enrolled students, procedures for non-students are offered for under $15.

“People who don’t have insurance or dental care really benefit from it. A lot of senior citizens and lower income people come in,” said Eric Bryant, assistant director of communications and marketing. “The cost is minor compared to getting dental coverage elsewhere,” he said.

Procedures are performed by dental hygiene students. “These are mutually beneficial to the students who are in these programs and the community, and it’s a service to the student body,” Bryant said.

The Automotive Department also offers services at an accessible price as part of their lab for senior automotive students. The labor itself is free, but people who want to partake in this service must pay a $15 lab fee and buy the parts needed to fix their car.

Unlike the other services, students’ cars must fit certain qualifications. Their priority is making sure students get the most out of the lab time.

Students and community members can apply to have their car worked on. Instructors will evaluate how long the car will take to fix and the type of work that will need to be done.

If they think the car won’t benefit their students, the car will be rejected. One qualification for acceptance is that the vehicle must be manufactured before the year 2000.

According to Kennedy, The Automotive and Dental labs are unique to HVCC, the only college in the area to offer such services.

College students face many challenges, but Hudson Valley’s services are meant to make their lives easier. The college created these services for a reason and all students are encouraged to take advantage of them.