Racks of clothes fill the warmly lit, retro-inspired department. However, Tower Thrift does not stand alone like many other thrift spots. Instead, the new section operates on one half of the University Co-op’s third floor.

When Tower Thrift opened in early March, Kelli Hanks, the Co-op’s director of corporate projects, said the store flooded with students.  

“There was a ton of traffic,” Hanks said. “It felt like a game day.” 

Not only has the thrift department created a new energy in the store, according to Hanks, but it also provides another way for the Co-op to fund its course material scholarships. This past fall, the UT CASH page presented this scholarship to Rebecca Molina. 

“I was fortunate enough to receive one of those scholarships,” said Molina, a biology freshman. “It’s really helped me out because textbooks can be so expensive (as well as) new materials for the school year. (It’s) a great thing they’re doing (this) to help us students with the expenses of college.” 

Initially created through a commitment by the Co-op and a match from the university of $10 million in 2022, course material scholarships aim to help students pay for textbooks and other school supplies, said Cassie Kopecky, the Co-op’s marketing manager. While other departments of the Co-op provide funding to various other programs, Tower Thrift donates all of its profits to the Co-op’s course material scholarships. 

Besides its mission to help cover students’ costs for class materials, Tower Thrift also provides a selection of affordable clothing, ranging from career to casual wear. 

“(Adding a thrift business is) something we had talked about pre-COVID. What can we do to help students have the things they need?” Hanks said. “(Students) don’t have a car, they don’t have a lot of money. When they need something, it’s just difficult. (We thought,) ‘ How can we provide something – what can we pull together to create that?”

Tower Thrift’s proximity to campus makes it a popular destination for students. Jennifer Messimer, an art education sophomore, said she discovered Tower Thrift after she went to the Co-op to buy art supplies. 

“It’s a really cool thing to have a thrift store this close because (for) a lot of thrift stores, you do need a car to get to them, or the ones more towards North Campus (are) a walk,” Messimer said. 

In addition to working as the director of corporate projects, Hanks also built the inventory and look of the new department as the Tower Thrift curator. While Tower Thrift initially bought merchandise to fill the store’s selection, Hanks said she hopes the majority of the department’s items come from donations in the future. 

“There’s some other projects coming up. One of them might be some form of personal shopping during seasons and different things through the web,” Hanks said. “But my goal is to continue to make sure that we have the very best things in the store.” 

Though projects will come and go, the main mission of Tower Thrift still stands. Over 1700 students have received course material scholarships since the funding’s inception in 2022, Kopecky said, and Tower Thrift will continue to provide more resources to students.

“(It’s) just a very fun concept and creative idea,” Kopecky said. “I love the fact that it’s housed in the University Co-op, and so it’s accessible to students.”