More than 4,000 ISU students are now part of the largest student alumni association of its kind in the nation.

The ISU Student Alumni Association recently surpassed its goal of 3,400 students by selling more than 4,000 memberships. The No. 1 reason the association is so popular is the added benefits for students, said Abby Thayer, business manager of the Student Alumni Leadership Council.

“I think the main reason we have so many memberships is the wide variety of benefits we offer,” said Thayer, senior in accounting and financing. “People really like the T-shirts, calendars and discounts.”

Julie Larson, director of Student and Career Programs for the Alumni Association, said members receive many benefits, including the free T-shirt and calendar, subscription to Visions magazine and discounted admission to campus events and area businesses.

“You get a lot for $15,” she said.

The Student Alumni Association was formed five years ago with only 750 members as a way to get students involved in the Alumni Association, Thayer said.

Only about 25 other schools in the United States have programs similar to Iowa State’s, Larson said.

“The purpose of the Student Alumni Association is to offer students a valuable service while they are on campus so we can connect with them while they are still students,” she said.

The money raised from the membership fees of the Student Alumni Association go to the Student Alumni Leadership Council to help plan and pay for events for Homecoming, Family Weekend, Lil’ Sibs Weekend and other campus events, Thayer said.

In the fall, the Student Alumni Association sponsors a barbecue, T-shirt day and spirit rally, Larson said. Every spring, members can attend a chili cook-off in February, a barbecue in April and a Financial Planning Seminar, she said.

“We do events on campus to introduce students to the spirit and traditions of Iowa State,” she said.

The Student Alumni Association will donate $1 of all memberships sold from October through December to the Disaster Relief Services, in memory of the Sept. 11 victims.