As students begin to move into residence halls on the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point campus Thursday, they’ll bring more than boxes of clothes, microwaves and laptops. They’ll bring a stream of cash, and lots of it.
The start of classes means that local businesses will see millions of dollars of economic activity as students spend on everything from housing and furniture to books, pizza and more.
Lori Dehlinger, executive director for the Portage County Business Council, said the university generates around $408 million for the local economy each year. The more than 9,000 students and 400 teachers who occupy campus during the school year represent one of the county’s main economic drivers, Dehlinger said.
