NEW WESTMINSTER - As college and university students return to campus this month, more of them than ever will benefit from discounted U-Pass BC transit rates.

B.C. is the only Canadian province to provide a universal transit program to students attending public post-secondary institutions.

About 130,000 students attending 10 post secondary institutions in Metro Vancouver will pay $30 a month for U-Pass BC, which enables them to save between $50 and $120 a month on transit fares. Students, at public colleges and universities, can get their monthly passes by swiping student identification at vending machines that dispense U-Pass BC cards.

The former U-Pass program was available to 70,000 students attending four post-secondary institutions in Metro Vancouver.

The Province will invest $28 million through April 2013 to support implementation of the U-Pass BC program in Metro Vancouver, which is moving forward in partnership with TransLink.

In regions outside of Metro Vancouver, the Province will provide funding as required to ensure the U-Pass rate remains below $30 per month or to enable new institutions to join the U-Pass BC program at existing rates.

Quick Facts:

The U-Pass BC program is available to 26 publicly funded post-secondary institutions across British Columbia. Students must approve participation in the program at their university or college in a referendum run by their student society.

To date, in Metro Vancouver, 10 of 11 schools offer U-Pass BC:

• University of British Columbia
• Simon Fraser University
• Capilano University
• Langara College
• Vancouver Community College
• Douglas College
• Emily Carr University of Art and Design
• Kwantlen Polytechnic University
• British Columbia Institute of Technology
• Nicola Valley Institute of Technology (Burnaby Campus)

The Justice Institute of British Columbia is expected to sign on to U-Pass BC in a short time.

Outside of Metro Vancouver, the following schools offer U-Pass BC:

• University of Victoria
• Camosun College
• College of the Rockies
• Thompson Rivers University
• College of New Caledonia
• University of the Fraser Valley
• University of Northern British Columbia
• University of British Columbia, Okanagan

The following post-secondary schools are eligible for U-Pass BC:

• Royal Roads University
• Okanagan College
• Nicola Valley Institute of Technology
• North Island College
• Northern Lights College
• Northwest Community College
• Selkirk College
• Vancouver Island University

Learn More:

For more information about U-Pass BC:

www.translink.ca/en/Fares-and-Passes/Student-Passes/U-Pass.aspx

Media Contacts:

Jeff Knight
Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure
250 356-7707

Ken Hardie
TransLink
604 453-4606