August 13, 2025

Dear campus community,

I am pleased to inform you that CSU will be participating in the RTA U-Pass program for the 2025-26 academic year. CSU will continue to provide discounted passes for RTA public transit, and now, students who choose not to access RTA transit will not be charged for this benefit.

In previous years, all credit-earning students were charged for the RTA U-Pass as part of general student fees, granting them an RTA transit pass each semester. However, we know that only a portion of our students utilized this benefit. Starting in the Fall 2025 semester, students will no longer have an RTA U-Pass general student fee as part of their semester bill. As a result, students will see a financial savings when compared to previous semesters’ general student fees.

To receive a U-Pass, eligible students can visit the Office of Parking and Transportation Services, located on the first floor of Berkman Hall. At the time of pick-up, the student’s bill will be charged $57.50 for the U-Pass for the semester. This is the same cost to students for the U-Pass as the former general student fee. Eligible students can receive a U-Pass on a semester-by-semester basis, based on their transportation needs in the Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 semesters.

To be eligible for the U-Pass, students must be enrolled full-time. Cleveland State University considers a student enrolled full-time with 12 credits as an undergraduate, 9 credits as a graduate student, or 12 credits as a Law student.

For students who have utilized the U-Pass previously but are not eligible for the 2025-26 academic year, please speak with your academic coach or the Division of Student Belonging and Success. Your academic coach is prepared to help you explore transit options that work for you.

The Senior Leadership Team and I are so thankful to our students who shared their feedback regarding CSU’s participation in the U-Pass program. Your input was invaluable as we worked to find solutions that meet the needs of students who do use transit services and students who do not.

We would also like to thank the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority for partnering with us to develop a solution that allows our students access to the U-Pass. 

Sincerely,

Laura Bloomberg, PhD
President