Since OU Career Services began offering its services for free, the number of students who use the program has skyrocketed.

Director of Career Services Bette Scott said they have seen a record turnout of students attend various workshops and interviews since they stopped charging $25 for service in August, and the office has been busy trying to accommodate everyone.

Scott said as of Tuesday, 3,960 students have opened an account with career services in one-half semester, and that number could soon surpass last year’s total of 4,486 students served.

Chemical engineering senior Matt Byford has used career services for two years, and said he noticed an increase in students attending interviews from last year to this year.

He said the free services made a major difference, and will continue to make a difference in the long run.

Byford said many students would not use Career Services if it continued to charge a fee.

Nursing sophomore Rachel Jones said she would not have used Career Services if the fee were still required, she thinks the program has been useful in finding and applying for jobs.

Scott said each student takes advantage of the program in a different way.

“[It’s] different for each group of students, depending on what their goals are,” Scott said.

In the past, students were required to pay $25 to register with the office, but did not have to pay for career fairs or activities, Scott said.

She said many students thought they needed to pay every time, and did not utilize the opportunities. She said making the services free has helped more students understand how Career Services works.

“I think that eliminated that area of confusion,” she said.

Chemical engineering senior Darren Hacker has used Career Services for four years. He said, regardless of the fee or not, the program is worth using to find companies and make connections to earn paid internships.

“In a way, the [$25] paid for itself,” Hacker said.