Eligibility and Exemptions
U-Pass BC Eligibility – Summer 2012
Over the summer months (May-August), all students at UBC, VST, St. Mark’s and Regent College are eligible for U-Pass BC during each month that they are registered as full-time or part-time studies with a minimum of three credits or assessed tuition fees of more than $151/month. Students must be fee-paying members of the AMS to be eligible for the U-Pass BC program.
U-Pass BC Exemptions
- You hold a valid U-Pass BC from another post-secondary institution within Metro Vancouver.
- You are an outgoing exchange student
- You hold another valid non-transferable transit pass which is valid for each month of the duration of the U-Pass Term (e.g. transit employee subsidiary pass). Please provide a photocopy of the front and back of the pass by the exemption deadline.
- You are unable to use the U-Pass BC for reasons of a disability
- You are taking exclusively distance or web-based courses AND are not assessed student fees.
- You do not live in Metro Vancouver AND do not take classes offered by UBC, VST, St. Mark’s or Regent delivered within Metro Vancouver. (See map of municipalities which are within Metro Vancouver.)
Please Note: Many courses do not have scheduled classes (e.g. graduate thesis, directed studies, honour’s research projects) and are designated in the registration system as on-campus courses. Exemptions are available only for these types of courses being completed outside Metro Vancouver. Please provide a letter from your faculty supervisor by the exemption deadline.
Graduate students applying for an exemption need a letter from their faculty advisor/secretary which confirms that they are completing their work outside Metro Vancouver.
Medical Exemptions
If you have a physical or psychological condition that has been diagnosed by a qualified medical professional and prevents you from using public transit, you must register with the UBC Disability Resource Centre (DRC). You will be required to provide the DRC with medical documentation supporting your claim. Each term the DRC provides the U-Pass office with a list of registered students and those students are eligible to receive the U-Pass exemption. Please do not forward any personal medical documentation to the U-Pass office.
All exempt students that have received a U-Pass must return their pass to: Brock Hall, U-Pass Program, 2016 – 1874 East Mall. The $30 fee will not be refunded for issued passes that are not returned before the passes become valid for use on transit.
How do I apply for an exemption?
The online exemption request form is available on the Student Service Centre website.
When is the exemption application deadline?
The exemption application deadline is the same as the withdrawal date without W standing for your courses (approximately 2 weeks after the start of your classes). Students who finish their program requirements mid-way through the semester are entitled to full U-Pass privileges for the remainder of the semester and will not receive a partial U-Pass refund.
U-Pass Subsidies
The AMS administers a fund to subsidize the cost of the U-Pass for those students experiencing financial hardship or exceptional circumstances which are not considered eligible for an ‘exemption’. Full and partial subsidies are available. To learn more about eligibility criteria and how to apply, visit the AMS website
