NYU students will no longer have to pay for menstrual hygiene products starting the Spring 2017 semester. They will be entirely free. Period.

On Friday, Oct. 21, NYU students leading the Tampon Tax movement announced that the university will begin providing students free menstrual hygiene products. According to the press release, this effort received support by Students for Sexual Respect at NYU, members of the Inter-Residence Hall Council and Women’s HERstory Month.

Senior Vice President for Student Affairs Marc Wais said that the university decided to convene a working group of students and staff to propose a pilot program by the end of the semester.

“The working group will be chaired by Dr. Marcy Ferdschneider, Medical Director of the Student Health Center,” Wais said. “The working group  will submit its recommendations to me. The university will assess the utilization and success of the pilot over the summer to determine how we move forward in the future.”

He said that this pilot program to provide free menstrual hygiene products to all students will begin in the spring semester at both the Manhattan and Brooklyn campuses. According to the press release, the pilot program recommendations should be submitted to Wais by Friday, Dec. 23.

Gallatin senior Josy Jablons, who has led this fight on campus, said that this decision was finalized at around noon on Thursday, Oct. 20, and this came after several levels of approval.

“It was more ‘overnight’ than you might think,” Jablons said. “Given the three-prong approach of our op-ed, petition and SSC resolution, the administration was forced to take note.”

She said that there was some behind-the-scenes conversation between administrative offices, such as the health center and student affairs, but Jablons said that she made it a point to include students in the discussion.

“In the case of MHPs, with the installment of this new working group, I think the administration is doing a great job of both empowering student leaders and also providing staff-members to support our needs,” Jablons said. “The fact that NYU has committed to funding the pilot program is a big step.”

A version of this article appeared in the Oct. 24 print edition. Email Diamond Naga Siu at [email protected].