The college is trying to negotiate a new contract with OC Transpo to secure U-Passes for students who would be taking a full-time course load or placements in the summer.
This is a relatively new program and Algonquin would be the first college in Ottawa to secure a summer U-Pass for students.
The pass would have a different colour from the previous one, which was issued in the fall.
“For our first year, we did very well,” said Roch Lafond, the manager in charge of student cards.
In Sept, 2015, about 18,000 cards were issued to students.
The department also created a digital portal service whereby students could send their pictures online to avoid waiting in line for their student cards and U-Passes.
As the manager, most of the necessary information Lafond needs is sent to him from the registrar’s office.
“The only thing I do at my end is, my system shows me whether or not you’re eligible for the pass,” he said.
Both the Registrar’s office manager and Lafond meet on a regular basis to discuss issues related to providing the best services to students.
There have been rumors about having U-Pass rebates for students on internship, but Lafond said it is a misunderstanding.
“I don’t know about the U-Pass rebates,” he said.
“Maybe it was misunderstood from someone, or someone is starting a rumor.”
The Algonquin U-Pass was introduced in the fall of 2015 after a formal agreement with the City of Ottawa for full-time students as a discount on transit services in Ottawa and Gatineau.
The college, OC Transpo, and the Students’ Association are responsible for negotiating the U-Pass as a means to improve students’ transportation to and from school. It was an agreement between these three parties that was approved by the City of Ottawa in March 2015.
The cost of the U-Pass is $192.70 per semester and a total of $385.40 per academic year. The charges for the U-Pass are automatically deducted from students’ annual fees.
However, not everyone is eligible to receive a bus pass, even though they are registered at the college.
In order to be eligible for the U-Pass, you must be taking over 66-70 per cent of a course load to be considered a full-time student.
There is also the opt-out option for students who are full-time and decide to use other means of transportation to school.
Students who drop out from full-time to part-time must return the U-Pass to the college, while full-time online students are ineligible for the U-Pass.
In case a student becomes ineligible for the pass, the reporting system at the Registrar’s office would send them an email saying, “you are no longer eligible for the U-Pass and please return the pass to the right office.”
There is a $25 dollar fee for replacements if you lose your U-Pass.
Lafond explained that they are just facilitating this for OC Transpo.
“It’s a great opportunity for the students,” he said.
“The only thing we look forward is to having a better system next year.”