The recent and sudden termination of Cleveland State University’s (CSU) U-Pass program has created a critical challenge for student mobility and public transit in Northeast Ohio. The U-Pass program, a long-standing partnership between CSU and the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA), provided CSU students with significantly discounted monthly transit passes. At its peak in 2014, the program served approximately 14,000 CSU students, demonstrating its significant reach and importance within the student body, ridership has dropped to under 50% of CSU's student body since then but school leaders indicate remains in the thousands.

The program's termination, which CSU attributed to "new state regulations," has left students facing an increase from $57.50 a semester ($14.50 a month) to $95 a month. For GCRTA, the loss of approximately $1.4 million in annual revenue from the university program represents a considerable challenge.

All Aboard Ohio has been closely following this issue, analyzing the regulatory landscape in Ohio, examining the value of U-Pass programs, and highlighting a path forward for the program's reinstatement.

State Law Ends CSU U-Pass

According to CSU, they are ending their GCRTA fee due to Section 381.270 (B) of the state budget which states that “Special purpose fees and service charges…shall not be applied uniformly to all enrolled students.”

Classification of Transport Fees

Transporation fees that "support transportation to and around campus as well as maintenance of parking facilities for students" are defined as general fees under standards written by the Ohio Department of Higher Education. They can however be defined as a special purpose fee by a university if they fall outside of this scope or are not intended to be billed uniformly.

CSU has defined their transportation fee which funds GCRTA passes as a special purpose fee, and in complying with state law, is canceling the GCRTA transportation program.

Call For Fee Re-assessment

We encourage Cleveland State University to complete an assessment of how they define transportation fees with the guidance laid out by the Ohio Department of Higher Education in order to determine if a general fee to fund the GCRTA bus program can be created. The GCRTA supports transportation to and around campus. We also encourage collaboration between GCRTA and CSU on continuing to provide service within this definition.

Other methods of funding U-Pass programs also exist at universities across the country which as a fallback could be implemented for the new semester.

The Indispensable Value of U-Pass Programs

Student transit pass programs, often known as Universal Transit Passes or U-Pass, offer significant benefits to students, communities, and transit agencies alike.

• Economic Empowerment and Affordability: U-Pass programs provide substantial cost savings for students, freeing up disposable income. The termination of CSU's program forced students to switch from paying a mandatory fee of $57.50 per semester to buying a standard GCRTA pass at $95 per month, a cost increase of over 500%.

  
  

• Advancing Educational and Career Outcomes: By removing transportation barriers, these programs help students access off-campus opportunities like jobs, internships, and medical care. Research has shown a direct correlation between U-Pass programs and improved academic outcomes, including lower absenteeism and increased credit completion.

  
  

• Fostering Lifelong Ridership and Community Vibrancy: U-Pass initiatives introduce students to public transit, helping to establish positive ridership habits that can last a lifetime. This helps to build a future ridership base for transit agencies like GCRTA. These programs also strengthen ties between students and the broader community by encouraging them to explore beyond campus.

Cover photo by Roger DuPuis