How does the program work?
Local and national merchants participate by refunding a portion of their sales to Christian school parents. A volunteer TRIP committee buys gift cards at a discounted price and then sells them to parents who order and buy these gift cards at face value. The discount or rebate is then credited to the family’s tuition account. Parents may either place paper orders once a week (with payment) and pick up the order the following week, may purchase limited gift cards immediately through TRIP on Demand on Monday nights or may order gift cards, reload gift cards and order eGift cards online. Credits are totaled and deducted from the tuition account semi-annually.
Who can participate?
Parents of students, grandparents, neighbors, friends, anyone who would like to help defray the cost of Christian education. Even if you don’t have children in school yet, you can still participate through our future family program. This allows you to build up tuition credit for when your child starts school. The TRIP program is a completely parent-run, volunteer program designed to benefit parents first, then the school.
Where do I order and pick up gift cards?
You can place an order and pick up gift cards at the Hudsonville Christian Elementary building. You can also order eGfit cards, reload current gift cards and order new gift cards online. New online ordered gift cards can be picked up at HCES. (Unity Christian High School parents also participate through Hudsonville Christian’s TRIP program).
How do I get started?
Contact the TRIP Coordinator at triphcs@4hcs.org or call the school office at 669-6689.
Which merchants participate?
TRIP on Demand – Some of the more popular merchant cards are available for purchase on a “check and carry” basis directly from the elementary school during Monday TRIP hours (4:30-6:00 p.m.).
TRIP Vouchers – some merchants give TRIP credit through a voucher system. Voucher forms are available at the TRIP pick-up table on Mondays. TRIP Voucher “Yellow Pages“.
VIP – “generic” TRIP certificates, which are accepted at certain participating merchants, are also available for purchase.
There is an expanded list of merchants available via online ordering, please check RaiseRight.com.
TRIP Hours
Families can purchase TRIP cards Monday, from 4:30 – 6:00 p.m. at the elementary building in the connector. Cards available for immediate pick-up can be purchased at this time, or parents can place an order for cards to be picked up the following week.
More orders, more savings
Encourage your friends, neighbors and other family members to participate in TRIP, so they can help you reduce your tuition costs. All they need to do is specify, on the order form, your family’s tuition account number as the recipient of the rebate monies. Even if you do not yet have a child at Hudsonville Christian School, TRIP is the perfect way to start saving. Earnings can exceed a year’s tuition before your child even begins school, and then keep helping all the way through high school.