By Taylor Johnson (The Cascade) – Email
Print Edition: September 12, 2012
Being a student has its perks. After all the long hours in class, not to mention the studying and stressing out over papers, students deserve some kind of break. One of the perks of being a student is the UFV U-Pass, which is provided by the Student Union Society (SUS) and serves as a student’s all-in-one discount and transit card.
This semester SUS has made some big changes to our little student cards. Every semester students line up at the Envision Athletic Centre to update their U-Passes, but this year was different. Instead of replacing the shiny outdated sticker on the U-Pass card, the cards were destroyed. Now, instead of carrying around a student ID as well as a U-Pass, the U-Pass sticker is placed on the back of student ID cards. The result? Students only have one card to keep track of.
Forty dollars might seem pretty steep for just a sticker, and if students have transit costs taken care of through another pass they can opt out of the U-Pass issued through SUS. But before you give up that shiny sticker, consider the many places that accept the U-Pass. There are a plethora of restaurants in Abbotsford that give discounts for U-Pass holders, including the Baron Bar and Grill, City Blends Coffee, Pita Pit, Olde Towne Bakery and Nature’s Pickin’s.
Not only will your U-Pass earn you discounts on food, but students can receive discounts at retail stores in Abbotsford, like Hemingway’s Books or Replay Boardshop. There’s also a discount at other Abbotsford establishments, which include Apple Auto Glass, Barberville Barber Shop, Bikram Yoga, Fraser Valley Tai Chi, and The Goddess Movement.
These benefits stretch throughout the Fraser Valley, to stores and restaurants in Chilliwack and Langley as well. A full list is available online.
Beyond retail and food, the U-Pass is also good for transportation. Students with a valid U-Pass can use any of the Abbotsford, Mission and Chilliwack bus systems free of charge.
One slight change to the transportation benefits of the U-Pass is to the My Safe Ride Home program. This program is basically a $25 credit towards a cab, which is built into the U-Pass and designed to get students home safely. It requires an online registration, and will expire for good in April 2013, or once the credit has been used.
Finally, the U-Pass makes staying fit easier. Staying physically active between classes can be difficult, especially considering costly gym memberships and student budgets. However, the U-Pass gives students access to the Abbotsford Recreation Centre, Chilliwack Landing Leisure Centre, Matsqui Recreation Centre, Mission Leisure Centre and Cheam Leisure Centre free of charge.
The U-Pass has its limits; each semester the sticker has to be updated and registered. Once a semester is over, the U-Pass expires. Students who are not registered in any classes at UFV will not be able to renew it.
It’s possible to have your U-Pass taken away from you. It is not the property of the student and misuse can result in having your U-Pass confiscated. Misuse includes taking someone else’s card and claiming it as your own, or giving the U-Pass to a non-student. Penalty fees can be forced on students who breach the agreement terms of the U-Pass.
While $40 might seem a lot to pay for a sticker, if your U-Pass is used right it will save you at least that much in the long run.
The SUS website offers complete lists of services connected to the U-Pass, as well as the option to suggest local businesses. Visit www.ufvsus.ca for more information.
