Because fees are collected from a large participant base, U-Pass prices are lower than the amount students would otherwise pay for monthly passes or tickets over the course of a term.
The U-Pass price charged to students depends on a variety of factors which differ among municipalities, transit systems and post-secondary institutions.
U-Pass programs offer students a way to lower their transportation costs while at school and also benefit the local community and the environment.
One of the first U-Pass programs in the United States was started at the University of Washington (UW) in conjunction with King County Metro (KCM) in the Seattle area.
The pilot was so successful that it became permanent; participation is now mandatory for students at all three UW campuses, and six additional transit agencies have joined the program.
The fee is highly discounted and includes full fare coverage on a number of metro, commuter, shuttle, vanpool, and car-sharing transit options.
Within three years, 22 colleges and universities had joined the program, by entering into a contractual agreement with CTA to provide the U-Pass to all full-time students.
The pass enables the students to make unlimited trips on all CTA buses and trains during the academic year.