Camosun College Student Society sponsored content
The U-Pass—a bus pass for students—is one of the most-used services provided jointly by the Camosun College Student Society (CCSS) and Camosun College, and it’s gone through some pretty big changes recently.
You’ve probably heard of the Umo app or card by now; this is how students now use their U-Pass, which allows convenient access to unlimited public transit in Greater Victoria.
“The change to Umo means students no longer need to worry about coming to campus to activate or update their U-Pass,” says CCSS member services coordinator Christine Desrochers, “which means one less lineup to worry about, and easier access to BC Transit services across the region.”
Students wanting to take advantage of the U-Pass can find more information on accessing the service on the college’s website at camosun.ca/u-pass.
The U-Pass program was established by a student referendum in 1999 and is available to students seven days before the start of a program. Students will need to choose if they want to use the Umo app or card before activating (if you do want to change after activating you will need to contact Umo customer service to do so; you can find a link to their contact info at camosunstudent.org/services/upass).
All students that are taking any classes at Camosun College and are members of the CCSS are automatically assessed the U-Pass fee for each month of enrolment, with the charges appearing on your Camosun fee statement. (The cost of the pass for students is less than 25 percent of what a pass normally costs and less than four days of parking costs per month.)
Because of the changes to the system, students taking courses that match the regular semesters (January to April, May to August, September to December) will have a pass that lasts four months, while students taking courses that don’t match those timeframes will need to enter a code that lasts 30 days for each month enrolled, so remember to keep an eye on the expiry date of your passes.
Taking a semester off? Students enrolled in the previous semester that are taking the current semester off are eligible for the U-Pass for Non-enrolled Students. To access this service, check with the library on campus to purchase the pass for $94. Spring and summer students can also contact the CCSS to opt out of the months they are enrolled so they aren’t paying twice for the same months.
The CCSS and BC Transit also have provisions to let students opt out of the U-Pass, provided they meet limited criteria, and it must be processed within 30 days of the start of a semester. Details on the opt-out criteria and the form to request it are available on the CCSS website.
Contact upass@camosunstudent.org if you have any questions about your U-Pass.
For more information on the Umo app or card, see bctransit.com/umo.