SEMO money study shows student impact

University students just love to eat off campus.

Sure, they like getting pierced, tanning and talking on cell phones, too, but not nearly as much as eating.

And every time a Southeast Missouri State University student pays the check or hauls some groceries to the car, a business owner makes a buck, which means he gives someone a job, which means that person will have a paycheck to spend.

That's the theory behind a detailed Southeast study released Friday that tracks where the university's students spend their money and the economic impact they have on Cape Girardeau County and Scott City, the region included in the research. It's information university officials say helps the area's business community make vital decisions.

"If you want to start a pizza business, or a cell phone business, or a tattoo or ear-piercing business, we have asked a lot of questions and have a lot of information for you," said university president Ken Dobbins.

The study was in three parts. In the first, students in the spring Introduction to Business Research class surveyed 266 students who live on and off campus to collect detailed information about spending habits. Bruce Domazlicky, professor of economics, said that's an appropriate sample to extrapolate information for the 9,500 students who attend Southeast.

Ranking first and second on the list were buying groceries and eating out. Rounding out the top five: gasoline, car payments and rent.

Beth Skaer, a 21-year-old applied mathematics major from Freeburg, Ill., said students have more disposable income than some might think.

"You get a good amount of financial aid -- I have a scholarship -- and then, if you work some little job, you have money," she said. "I have friends who buy computer games. I buy clothes."

Cheerleader Allison Sachs, 19, explained her shopping habits as she warmed up for a freshman welcome program.

"I spend most of my money on groceries, bottled water and going out to eat," the St. Louis native and special education major said.

The study only tracked the nine-month academic year and showed students spent a total of $51.2 million in the research area during that period.

The second part of the study sought to explain the university's total contribution to the local economy, which Domazlicky's figures put at $125.7 million, up from the $121.4 million he announced after a similar study conducted in 1998.

The figure includes money spent by students, earnings spent by university employees and business done by the university with local vendors.

And finally, the study tracked the economic contribution from Southeast graduates, which Domazlicky put at $475.4 million across 24 counties served by the university. He tracked the number of graduates per county and used a U.S. Census Bureau figure that workers with bachelor's degrees earn $22,500 more on average than those with only high school educations. Other studies show that figure can vary dramatically from state to state.

John Mehner, Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce president, said the figures strengthen what the city's business owners already knew about the university's value.

"People not associated with the business community or the university directly may not realize how important those two are to each other," he said.

hhall@semissourian.com

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