Basic Needs Assistance, Auto Shop, and Dental Clinic – Services at SPSCC, Pt. 5
by 0 by 0 We’re on the last article of my series on campus resources at SPSCC! There have been a lot of services here to cover! In this final installment, I’m going to go over the services that were most surprising to me.
Basic Needs Assistance
Much like the food bank, the Basic Needs Assistance program here at South Puget Sound exists to help students experiencing homelessness, poverty, or any other lack of access to necessary facilities. In combination with the SPSCC Foundation and the Food Pantry, students experiencing difficult situations or life changes have opportunities here that they otherwise might not have.
| Contact | The Basic Needs Assistance application can be filled out here. Make sure you are signed in using your ClipperID, otherwise you will not be able to access the application! For emergency shelter, please reference the list on the Basic Needs Assistance website, here. |
| Resources | Short-term housing and housing assistance Access to the food bank/food cards (for more information about the SPSCC Food Pantry, read my past article on it, here) Access to laundry facilities and shower rooms Storage and lockers Access to technology |
| Resources through the SPSCC Foundation | Funds for: Tuition and Books Tools and Supplies Emergency (Past-Due Rent, Power/Utility Bills, Car Repair, Medical Bills, Childcare) |
For more information on the Foundation Grant and how to apply, click here. Using your ClipperID will grant you access to these services, because these resources are only available for current SPSCC students, unlike the Food Pantry, which is open for everyone!
Auto Shop and Vehicle Repair
This is a feature you certainly don’t see offered every day. SPSCC students learning about automotives and repairs need something to practice on, of course, and what better test subject than the cars of other students? Although the vehicle repair service isn’t as quick as going to a repair shop (depending on the service, it can take three times as long due to restrictions to class time), it’s cheaper, and it’s a non-profit organization; all proceeds go right back into the automotive program. The repair services offered as well as amount of vehicles accepted depends on the quarter’s curriculum as well as the amount of students. To see if your vehicle qualifies, login to your Clipper account and fill out the Automotive Customer Service Repair form, here.
| Contact | (360) 596 – 5320 automotive@spscc.edu The Automotive Customer Service Repair form can be found here. |
| Price Comparison | Average Dealership Cost of Parts: 100% Mark-up Flat Labor Rate: $150 – $250 per hour Hazard Fee: 10% – 15% Tax: 9.5% SPSCC Automotive Cost of Parts: 30% Mark-up Flat Labor Rate: $50 per hour Hazard Fee: N/A Tax: 9.5% |
Dental Clinic
We have a dental clinic on campus. Dental students need to get practice from somewhere, much like the automotive students. The Dental Clinic works similarly to the Automotive Service program and the Dental Clinic is cheaper than the average private practice. Unfortunately it also has less availability and limited services.
They do accept insurance, and have reduced fees for people on Medicare, Medicaid, or Apple Health. Although this clinic’s purpose is to teach dental students, there won’t be inexperienced hands in your mouth; students in the program help with dental treatments, but licensed dentists and hygienists do most of the work. Students only do tasks they’ve proved themselves to be capable of!
| Location | Building 34, Second Floor |
| Hours | Business Hours – Monday through Thursday: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM Clinic Hours (Winter 2023-2024) – Monday through Wednesday: 7:50 AM – 12:00 PM |
| Contact | (360) 596 – 5464 dentalclinic@spscc.edu |
| Services | Exams X-rays Fillings Crowns Cleanings Bleaching Trays Night Guards Extractions and Root Canal Treatments (Limited) |
| Prices | 30% – 40% less than the standard private practice The SPSCC Dental Clinic is an out-of-network provider for all dental insurance, which means that the insurance copay will likely be a higher percentage than an in-network provider. However, due to the reduced prices, this might not make a difference, or even still be cheaper. There are some discounts and/or bundles on a quarter-to-quarter basis. Ask if there are any, and what they might be! |
Thank you to everyone who has followed along with this series until the end. And if this was the first article of the series you’ve read, don’t forget to check out the other installations! Hopefully you’ve learned something new, because I definitely have!
