Western Washington University and WECU, the Bellingham-based credit union, are launching a new WWU-branded debit card that will generate ongoing financial support for the university while giving students, alumni, faculty, and community members a way to show their school pride in their everyday spending.
WECU announced the collaboration this week, with the new card going live as the fall 2026 academic year gets underway. A portion of the revenue generated through card transactions will flow back to WWU, directed toward students and programs across campus. The exact revenue-sharing formula was not disclosed, but the structure mirrors similar affinity card programs that other universities and credit unions have used to generate sustainable, non-tuition funding streams.
Nine Decades of Partnership
The new debit card is the latest chapter in what both organizations describe as a 90-year relationship. WECU, which stands for Whatcom Educational Credit Union, was founded in 1936 and opened its membership to Western faculty and staff from the beginning. Over the following nine decades, the partnership has grown to encompass WECU Court at Carver Gymnasium on the WWU campus, scholarship support for students, sponsorship of university events both major and minor, and three WECU ATMs located on the Western campus itself.
"WECU and Western have been part of each other's story for 90 years," said Jennifer Kutcher, a WWU alumna and WECU's president and CEO. "This card is a natural extension of a relationship that has always been about supporting students, faculty, staff and the broader Western community."
Kim Hill, CEO of The Foundation for WWU and Alumni and vice president for University Advancement, echoed that framing. "We're very excited about this new program and grateful to WECU for its continued commitment to Western," Hill said. "WECU and Western have been working together for generations, and this is a creative new way to build on that relationship and provide meaningful support for our students for years to come."
How the Card Works and Who Can Get One
The WWU debit card is available through WECU to members who want to carry a card that reflects their connection to Western. WECU membership is open to people who live, work, worship, or attend school in Whatcom County, as well as to WWU students, faculty, staff, and alumni regardless of where they currently live. That broad eligibility means the card is accessible not just to current students on the Bellingham campus but to the tens of thousands of WWU graduates living across the Pacific Northwest and beyond.
Unlike a traditional affinity credit card, this is a debit card product, meaning it draws directly from a checking account rather than extending credit. For students who are building financial habits and managing tight budgets, debit cards carry less risk than credit cards while still generating the revenue-sharing benefit for the university on every swipe.
Revenue generated through the program is directed to WWU through The Foundation for WWU and Alumni, which manages private gifts and partnerships on behalf of the university. The Foundation channeled those funds toward areas of greatest need and to programs that strengthen what both organizations call "the Western experience."
Why It Matters for WWU and Bellingham
Western Washington University is one of Bellingham's largest employers and a central institution in the city's economic and cultural life. The university enrolls roughly 16,000 students and employs thousands of faculty and staff. Its presence shapes everything from the local housing market to the arts scene to the regional talent pipeline for businesses across Whatcom and Skagit counties.
In recent years, WWU and other regional universities have faced fiscal pressure from flat enrollment trends, rising costs, and uncertainty around state appropriations. Private partnerships and donor-supported revenue streams like the WECU card program represent one way universities are trying to diversify their funding base without raising tuition.
WECU is one of the larger credit unions in Washington state, with branches throughout Whatcom County and beyond. The institution has deep roots in Bellingham and has historically been a significant presence in the community banking landscape. For students arriving at Western for the first time this fall, the new card offers a ready-made option for setting up local banking while also giving back to their university.
Full details about the new card, including how to apply, are available on WECU's website. More information about Western Washington University and its programs is available at wwu.edu. For earlier coverage of WWU and Ferndale School District receiving state energy efficiency grants, see the recent local education investment roundup for context on how regional institutions are building capacity heading into the new academic year.
