No one likes to wait in lines. However, standing in line becomes a lot easier if you are one of the students at UTM who is getting a refund check.

This spring semester alone UTM wrote refund checks to 3,261 people totaling in the amount of $6.39 million. This averages to be almost $2,000 per student that receives a refund.

UTM Bursar Carroll Lewis said that students receive refund checks if they have more in financial aide than what it costs them to attend college. “If they have more scholarships, grants and loans than they have charges, then students are given a refund check,” Lewis said.

Lewis also says that she has seen the amount of refunds that the business offices issues increase over the last few years. She says that part of this is because of the HOPE Lottery Scholarship but also that she sees more students that are taking out loans.

So, where are students spending this money?

Senior Danika Parris of Memphis, Tenn., says that she spends her refund check on rent and that she recently used some of her refund check to buy a new computer to use for her class work. Parris says that some of her refund check is from student loans that she has taken out but that she’s not worried about paying it back.

“I’ll worry about paying them (student loans) back when the time comes. I feel confident enough in my career future that I’ll be able to pay the loans back,” Parris said.

Some students who are getting refund checks will never have to pay the money back. They are simply getting paid to go to school.

Junior Megan Madden of Dyersburg, Tenn., says that she receives scholarship money from the HOPE Lottery Scholarship, the Dean’s Scholarship and from one outside scholarship. Her mom works for the state so her tuition costs are also reduced 50% as well.

“It feels nice to be paid to come to school. I used my refund check to pay for my books and to pay for my sorority dues,” she said. “I then put the rest into savings.”

With fatter wallets it can be expected that students are going to be playing an even larger role in impacting the economy of Martin and surrounding cities. Martin Mayor Randy Brundige said that the city knows when students are in town.

“It’s always positive when the students are here. The businessmen know when the students are here and when they’re not. In the summer when there are not as many students here, the sales tax is lower which means that the sales are lower. Students are a positive impact for the community in a financial way,” Brundige said.

The Pacer will be running more stories semester on the impact that students have on the local economy.