CLEVELAND — Cleveland State University said it is restoring a low-cost bus program for students that it had previously cut.
This school year, CSU students will be able to pick up a U-Pass, a pass that allowed students access to all Greater Cleveland RTA transportation at a discounted rate.
Since 2007, all students taking at least one credit hour have been charged the U-Pass fee.
At the end of July, the school announced it would have to end the program because of language passed in the state budget earlier this summer that disallowed universal fees.
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Now, the university has announced that students who want to ride the rapid and buses will have to opt into the U-Pass at the beginning of each semester. Once students pick up a pass, they will be charged the same amount as before, which is $58. That's a $50 savings for students when an individual pass from GCRTA costs around $95.
The university said previously that less than half of students ever picked up the sticker for their IDs that allowed them to use the U-Pass, despite being previously charged to all students.
Cleveland State University student Cale Shaw helped fight to restore the program. He's encouraging all students who need it to go get their U-Pass.
"We fought for it," he said. "We fought to keep it. If people aren't going to go get it, then it's not going to stick around. We need people to go stand in the long line and get the sticker on your ID to be able to use it."
Eligibility is also now limited with this new version of the U-Pass to full-time students, which means undergraduate and law students will need to be taking at least 12 credits, and graduate students will need to be taking nine or more credits to qualify.
The university thanked students for their feedback in a statement.
"Their input was invaluable as university leaders worked to find solutions that meet the needs of students who do use transit services and students," leaders said.
The school also said students who previously used the U-Pass, but no longer qualify are encouraged to speak with the division of student belonging and success to explore alternative transit options.
