The University Network (TUN) is an organization that works together to connect college students to the best local deals and save money. TUN.com has been up and running for almost two years and has been a source for thousands of college students. Last month, TUN announced the release of Deal Finder, the new, free mobile app available for all Androids and iPhones.

Peter Corrigan, St. John’s University Alum and CEO of TUN, along with coworkers and interns started brainstorming with the idea of Deal Finder about a year and a half ago.  Together, they thought of ways to make saving money, convenient for students.

“We advocate for students and help them save money as much as possible, especially with all the loans,” Manager of Marketing and Sales Shannon Eberly said.
The TUN Deal Finder app is frequently compared to Groupon and LivingSocial. but people will find that they are not that similar.

“We are kind of the middle man in a way because we advertise business deals that are ongoing,” Eberly said.

Deal Finder provides college students help with finding local deals on services that they typically waste the most money. Food, beer, parties, clothing, makeup and even health and fitness centers and doctor visits are all included.

Unlike Groupon and LivingSocial, Deal Finder does not involve purchases, vouchers, credit cards or logins. Students type in their school’s name and a map pops up with local deals.  With the app, students can point their camera down the block and see all the deals within sight.

When typing in St. John’s University on TUN.com or in the Deal Finder app, students will see all the deals available around campus. Students can walk up Union Turnpike to Cozy Nails and receive a manicure and pedicure for $15, save 10 percent off shipping and packing at the UPS store with a valid ID, and even enjoy a free buffet and snacks during happy hour at Sly Fox Inn.

Approximately 12,000 companies nationwide participate, sending in their day-to-day deals and over 8,000 people like TUN.com on Facebook. Currently, there are 400 schools nationwide participating with TUN. The company works on adding new schools every day and is currently working on over 100 schools.
In an effort to bring in more schools, TUN sends out emails and even calls companies to find deals to submit on TUN.com.  To promote deals and discounts, companies can submit online or call the TUN office.

The app is now available on the Google Play Marketplace and the iTunes App Store under Deal Finder.