Students will potentially see a difference in their Mane Cards when they return this fall.

Newly designed Mane Cards could be released as early as May, pending contract agreements between UNA officials and Listerhill Credit Union, said Cindy Conlon, Director of Procurement at UNA.

The new cards will be higher in quality and feature a second magnetic strip, which will allow individuals with accounts at Listerhill the option to use their new Mane Card as a debit card.

“We have not signed a contract yet because we have not been able to reach an agreement to move forward,” Conlon said. “It is our intent to do so and I believe it will happen, hopefully, this year. We’re hoping it will be an advantage to the students and make their life easier so they can carry around one card and use it.”

University officials intend to make replacing the current card with the new one mandatory to all students, faculty and staff, Conlon said.

Replacing the cards will not cost the cardholders, and the price of replacing future cards will stay at $10, she said.

“Everyone will have to get a new card and take a new picture,” Conlon said. “The benefit to UNA is that Listerhill will be buying the cards. The biggest thing is that the quality of the cards will come up.”

Conlon said university officials have been researching what she called a “one-card system” for several years, since it is considered popular and convenient to students at other schools.

An account with Listerhill Credit Union is required to use the debit function of the new Mane Card, although this will not affect Lion Loot or Dining Dollars, she said.

“After drop and add and all that happens and the (refund) checks (were delivered to students), 2,000 students were depositing those at Listerhill,” Conlon said. “It only made sense to partner with someone who has a presence and can immediately benefit existing students. For Listerhill, it’s a good situation because it can encourage students to open an account.”

Listerhill intends to announce a new account program for UNA students that should be released once the contract is signed, Conlon said.

“They’ve got pretty good programs now, but UNA students will be offered an even better program that should be released once we get this contract signed,” she said. “We were interested in creating a partnership where our students would have absolutely no banking fees. UNA will not be selling Listerhill, but if this makes it easier for the students, then great.”

Conlon said she hopes this agreement will eventually lead to the university being able to directly deposit refund checks to students. Conlon said the new cards could be printed as early as May, and she hopes they will be distributed from the first SOAR camp onward.

“I’ve thought for a while that it would convenient if I could buy things with my Mane Card,” said Sarah Simpson, a sophomore at UNA. “I just wished more people accepted Lion Loot. I think it’s a cool idea, but I don’t have Listerhill, so I don’t see how it would benefit me.”

Jacob Hale, a senior at UNA and Listerhill account holder, said he will not be inconvenienced by the card replacement.

“I think the new Mane Card is a cool idea,” Hale said. “It will better integrate UNA and local businesses and encourage students to bank at Listerhill and invest more in the community here in Florence.”