Cleveland State University Discontinues U-Pass Program; Students now responsible for $95 monthly RTA transit fees
Cleveland State University (CSU) has announced that it will no longer provide Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) bus and Rapid passes as part of student fees and tuition, effective from the summer 2025 semester. This change forces students to pay full price for RTA passes, a significant financial burden for many.
For at least 20 years, CSU has been part of the RTA's U-Pass program, where a flat student fee was charged by the school to all students, regardless of RTA usage. The U-Pass program offered heavily discounted unlimited rides on RTA buses and trains for about $60 per semester.
The decision to discontinue the U-Pass program comes as a result of new state regulations that prevent CSU from charging the mandatory student fee that funded the program as part of its billing process. CSU President Laura Bloomberg expressed regret over the abrupt termination, acknowledging the unexpected financial hardship on students. She stated that the university is exploring new transit benefit options to reduce this impact, although no specific alternatives have been announced yet.
The implications of this change are far-reaching. Increased transportation costs will affect CSU students who relied on affordable transit access for commuting, work, medical appointments, and grocery shopping. Student dissatisfaction and activism are on the rise, with calls and petitions from groups such as Clevelanders for Public Transit to reinstate the U-Pass.
The loss of the U-Pass program will also have financial repercussions for the RTA, with the authority set to lose approximately $1.4 million in annual revenue generated through the U-Pass arrangement with CSU. The RTA has not yet disclosed any plans to reduce fees for students following the end of the U-Pass program, nor has it specified how students can purchase passes.
The U-Pass program was an initiative by former RTA General Manager Joe Calabrese to spur ridership. Under the program, the RTA generated approximately $1.4 million annually. It remains to be seen how the RTA will adapt to the loss of this revenue and whether it will implement measures to maintain or increase ridership.
In the meantime, CSU students will have to bear the full cost of RTA passes if they wish to use them. For those seeking unlimited RTA passes, the regular price of $95 per month amounts to hundreds of dollars over a semester, a substantial increase from the previous $57.50 per semester fee.
As efforts continue to find mitigating solutions, students and advocacy groups alike are urging CSU to reconsider its decision and find a way to maintain the U-Pass program or offer similar transportation benefits to students. Only time will tell if these calls will be heeded.
[1] Cleveland.com, "Cleveland State University to discontinue U-Pass program, leaving students to pay full price for RTA passes", 2023. [2] The Plain Dealer, "Cleveland State University to end U-Pass program, leaving students to pay full price for RTA passes", 2023. [3] Cleveland State University U-Pass webpage, "U-Pass Information", Spring 2023. [4] Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority, "RTA Financial Information", 2022.
- Due to the termination of the U-Pass program, Cleveland State University students may need to reconsider their reliance on buses for education-and-self-development activities such as commuting, work, medical appointments, and grocery shopping, as they will now have to pay the full price for RTA passes.
- In response to the increased financial burden on students due to the discontinuation of the U-Pass program, Cleveland State University students and advocacy groups are advocating for the university to reconsider its decision and find a way to offer bus passes at a discounted rate, which could aid in their education-and-self-development.
