UPass price set to increase by $5

By Chris Adams, June 12, 2014 — 

The price of your UPass will go up this September, but not by much.

Calgary Transit approved a $5 increase on the UPass for the fall semester, putting the total cost at $122 per semester.

The cost of the UPass is tied to the consumer price index and is subject to annual raises. If fees for transit customers who aren’t full-time University of Calgary students go up, yours do too, but only by 30 per cent of the total cost.

Students’ Union president Jarett Henry said the UPass is becoming an increasingly important resource for students.

“I think with the increase in parking rates and the decreasing amount of space for parking on campus, I think that does make the UPass increasingly valuable for students,” Henry said.

The U of C’s UPass is among the cheapest in the country. Students at the University of British Columbia pay $147 per semester for theirs, while University of Ottawa students pay $184 per semester.

“My understanding is that our UPass is significantly less expensive than other universities. Obviously we need to be very wary of any increases. But to take a step back, we do have a good program here,” Henry said.

Although the cost of the UPass is subject to annual increases, Henry is disappointed the SU was not consulted on the price-hike.

“Students didn’t have input. We made it very clear that we expect to be consulted on future increases,” Henry said.

The UPass costs students around $30 per month. A low-income transit pass — for those who make less than $23,859 per year — costs $44 per month. A standard adult pass costs $96 per month.