Transfer students looking for a place to connect with one another can now head to the event room in the north tower of the GrandMarc Apartments.

The transfer center opened when classes started as a way to give transfer students a place to create a community for those new to campus.

“It’ll help transfers feel more welcome to campus,” said Amanda Dorsey, a transfer mentor and senior accounting major. “It’ll be less overwhelming to transfer in because now you have a place to go to eat, study and hang out.”

TCU transfer students make up approximately 16% of the student body.Last spring, Rachael Capua, the assistant director of the sophomore and junior year experience, held transfer roundtables to talk about the needs of transfer students.

The new transfer center was “fulfilling their requests for a place to go and a community to feel more connected with,” Capua said.

She said the GrandMarc is letting the students use its event room at no cost and supplying coffee, an Internet cafe and study spaces. Capua also said that Housing and Residence Life is providing all the furniture at no cost and that the Veterans Service Task Force is partnering with Student Development Services to create this new space.

GrandMarc Leasing and Marketing Manager Monyca Warren said the space wasn’t being used to its full potential.

Capua said the center will be welcoming to transfer students.

“You know that others in that room are also transfers and have gone through a similar experience as you,” said Capua.

Veteran transfers will also be invited into the new space. There are more than 300 veteran students on TCU’s campus.

April Brown, the director of Inclusiveness and Intercultural Services and the chair for the Veterans Services Task Force, said that this space will be helpful for veterans as well.

“It’s the gathering place that is missing on the campus,” Brown said.