By Victoria Cruz
Features Editor
The UPass is a vital tool that provides unlimited access to trains, buses and other transit services in the state of Connecticut.
However up until this semester, only actively enrolled undergraduate students were eligible to receive a UPass on a first come, first serve basis.
“Public transportation should be more accessible for everyone,” English secondary education major Yesenia Acosta, a freshman, said. “This should have been implemented sooner. Everyone deserves access to reliable public transportation.”
Now, graduate students are also considered eligible for the same service.
All students are responsible for payment of the transportation fee as a part of tuition and fees every semester. These fees go towards the UPass.
Despite graduate students also having to pay transportation fees as part of their tuition, they were not guaranteed a UPass. Their only option was to pay out of pocket for the same service.
Acosta also pointed out that graduate students pay higher tuition and fees.
“They are paying more than undergraduate students, and they have not been afforded the opportunity yet,” Acosta said.
Since the majority of graduate students are commuters, this change is one that many students deem extremely necessary.
English major Jennette Bouvier, a freshman and commuter, said that she relies on the UPass to travel to campus.
“As someone who has used the UPass multiple times, it made it easier to make my classes on time when I don’t have a car,” Bouvier said.
Similarly, Acosta said graduate students should have reaped the benefits of the UPass sooner.
“I am very appreciative that we have an operating system and graduate students should have been able to utilize that in the same way undergraduates can,” Acosta said.
With rising costs of transportation, a single bus fare costs $1.75. Many students believe it is unsustainable for many commuters.
Communication major Jonathan Christiano, a senior, said that expanding access of the UPass can better support not only students but the community as well.
“I think systems should support people who are in them, so having them be supported will benefit not just them but the community,” Christiano said.
Christiano also said this new change can eliminate hurdles for those working to obtain degrees.
“If we can take away one less obstacle, I think that is worth it,” Christiano said. “Knowing they got the support will help with the schools reputations and refer them back to SCSU.”
The increased accessibility of the UPass is another way the university can support graduate students in our community. But it also raises the question of how the university can better support its current and incoming graduate students to guarantee their educational success.
