An image of the Aggie Bulldog, a stack of money and the date “1-18-08” with a diagonal line through it stands out in many A&T students’ minds.

Aggravated and concerned students blatantly shared stories of financial despair on the wall of the group “The N.C. A&T Refund Check Uprising” on the popular online community, the Facebook. Less than a week later, it was confirmed that their outcries were not in vain.

Within the online community, described as a “peaceful, organized group that is looking to make a change,” some students vented about having to come out-of-pocket or getting a book voucher to purchase books for classes that had already begun.

Others were concerned that students in the UNC system had received their refund checks already, although their schools had not opened as yet.

“As a graduate student, I am highly upset that my basic needs of education are not met,” said Antoine Lilly, a graduate student from Durham, N.C., and creator of the group.

“Students have needs, and for some of us the refund checks that we receive are our basic means of living.”

Lilly developed the idea to start a movement after conversing with other students and becoming aware that, without refund checks, many students were unable to function financially upon the first week of the Spring 2008 semester.

He, along with a few students including Marcus Bass, Student Government Association vice president of external affairs, began the movement, which has become the voice of the members of the group. They also met with Chancellor Battle early last week, where they discussed the issue and voiced their concerns.

Along with other students, for Lilly, who finished his undergraduate work at Appalachian State University and left a full-time job to attend A&T to pursue his Master’s in Management Information Systems, his refund check would be his basic source of revenue while at school. Visit their website to learn more about the process about filing for and receiving refund checks.

The Spring 2008 refund information has been revised and updated. It is now on the Web site for all students to find all the details that they need. The information has been disseminated via the student listserv, according to Mable Scott, associate vice chancellor for public relations.

Attempts to reach University officials were unsuccessful. Efforts were made to contact Battle, Robert Pompey Jr., vice chancellor for business and finance, Dr. Sullivan Welborne, interim vice chancellor for student affairs, and Kimberly Sowell, university treasurer, but none were successful.

Continuing full-time students will have access to their refund checks on Jan. 23; new, transfer, and part-time students on Jan. 31; and first-time direct loan borrowers on Feb. 15. Over the weekend, several students received their refunds by way of direct deposit.

The group’s numbers increased rapidly, attracting over 600 students in its first two days of establishment.

Termed the “Aggie Tenth” with over 1,000 members representing over 10 percent of the A&T student population, it served as a central location through which breaking news and information on the disbursement of refund checks from the Dowdy Administration Building was shared, including a letter of concern which was sent on behalf of the members of the group.

Lilly says that his focus is being a positive voice and being heard, and that students have to learn how to get their point across without negativity.

“We’ve made a difference, but money doesn’t quiet the movement,” Lilly said. “We are agents of change, and we will continue to voice our concerns to help our university become what we need it to be. We are the ‘Aggie Tenth.”

• Keisha Thomas