U-PASS

All students who pay the Service & Activities Fee (SAF) are automatically members of the Universal Student U-PASS program. A mandatory quarterly fee appears on tuition statements. Oversight of this program is through a student advisory board appointed by the ASUW and GPSS.

To maintain your U-PASS activation between quarters, you must be registered for classes nine days prior to the next quarter start. Otherwise, your U-PASS will be deactivated and will be reactivated for transit 12 to 24 hours after you register again. For specific payment and activation dates, see the academic calendar.

Withdrawing from classes will deactivate your U-PASS. If it is on or before the 7th calendar day of the quarter, you will receive a full refund of the fee. A 50 percent refund is available until the 30th calendar day of the quarter. No refund is available if you withdraw on or after the 31st day.

Opt-in U-PASS

If you are a student who is not eligible for the Universal Student U-PASS, you may be able to purchase an opt-in U-PASS membership instead. The pass costs $150 and must be purchased in person each quarter.

• If you are a student in a degree program and would normally have a Universal Student U-PASS, please contact the Transportation Services office at ucommute@uw.edu to purchase an opt-in U-PASS. 

• ACCESS students and tuition-exempt students may purchase an opt-in U-PASS by contacting the Transportation Services office.

• Professional & Continuing Education (PCE) students taking credit courses and International & English Language Programs (IELP) students should contact the PCE office about obtaining a U-PASS. PCE students taking non-credit classes are not eligible to purchase a U-PASS.

U-PASS over the summer

Students registered for summer quarter continue their U-PASS membership. Not registered? You may qualify for one of the following programs:

• Orca Lift: Discounted fares depending on income.
• Temp Pass: Working at the UW over the summer? You may be eligible to purchase a Temp Pass.
• College Edge: Students taking part in the College Edge program or who are in an academic program that starts more than 12 days before autumn quarter start may purchase an opt-in U-PASS or parking permit.

Beginning July 1, 2022, all personnel who are paid by the University of Washington will be eligible for a fully subsidized U-PASS. If you previously were paying for an annual or quarterly U-PASS, you do not have to take any action to stop payments. They will stop automatically with the pay period ending June 30, 2022.

The new benefit does not apply to student hourly employees, graduate research student assistants, unpaid academics, affiliates or other appointees who are not paid by the University of Washington. For more information on eligibility, see the Human Resources U-PASS benefit page.

Employees who do not qualify for the fully subsidized pass may be eligible to purchase a quarterly or annual U-PASS through their campus transportation office.

Opt-In Employee U-PASS

The opt-in U-PASS fee for the Seattle campus is $25 per pay period, or $150 per quarter. (If you are eligible for a fully subsidized U-PASS, you do not need to purchase a U-PASS and should not use this form.)

• Annual passes can be paid for by payroll deduction and can be purchased online. They can be canceled at any time and payroll deductions will be stopped on the date of cancellation.

• Quarterly passes can be paid for with a credit card online and are eligible for a pro-rated refund based on the date of cancellation.

• When purchasing a U-PASS online, the U-PASS product(s) will be listed alphabetically under “Permits”. Review our step-by-step guide (pdf) on how to purchase a U-PASS online.

BUY An opt-in U-PASS

Annual opt-in U-PASS memberships expire on June 30 and must be renewed each fiscal year. An email with renewal instructions will be sent out when it is time to renew.

Please note that annual U-PASS members who pay through payroll deduction will continue to be billed for the U-PASS until it expires or is canceled. Members are financially responsible for the U-PASS and all associated charges, even if they separate from the University or are not receiving a paycheck. To cancel payroll deductions, email Transportation Services to submit a written request of cancellation.

To cancel your opt-in U-PASS, email Transportation Services with the subject line: “Cancel employee U-PASS on MM/DD/YYYY.” Include your name, employee ID number, and a statement requesting cancellation of the U-PASS and payroll deductions (if applicable). Your U-PASS will remain active and you will remain financially responsible for payments until you receive confirmation via email. We will do our best to cancel your U-PASS on the preferred date, but please allow 2-4 business days for processing. Cancellation dates cannot be preset and must be on a weekday (the Sales office is closed on weekends and University holidays). If you require cancellation on a specific date, please visit our office in person. 

If you have paid for an opt-in Employee U-PASS via payroll deductions and now qualify for a fully subsidized U-PASS, please contact your campus Transportation Services office to cancel payroll deductions. Payroll deductions will continue on your account until you notify Transportation Services via email. No refunds will be processed. (This does not apply to employees newly eligible as of July 1, 2022, but will apply to employees who become eligible after that date.)

Gratis U-PASS

If you have a commuter product that offers a gratis U-PASS and now qualify for a fully subsidized U-PASS, you will receive the fully subsidized U-PASS only. The U-PASS is tied to your Husky Card, so each employee only gets one U-PASS, regardless of how it is paid for. The gratis U-PASS was originally included with some parking products to make it easier for employees to try out transit or use it on an occasional basis. The fully subsidized U-PASS makes that even easier for those employees who qualify for it.

If your U-PASS becomes inactive

Your fully subsidized U-PASS will become inactive in one of the following scenarios:

1. You changed jobs and your new job classification is not eligible for a fully subsidized U-PASS. 

2. You are leaving the University. 

In the event that you are still at the University and no longer qualify for the fully subsidized U-PASS, you may purchase an Opt-In Employee U-PASS.

Life doesn’t always follow a transit timetable. If you need an emergency ride home, we will reimburse you for up to 100 percent of your metered taxi or ride hail fare (tip not included), up to 60 miles per one-way trip. During a trip, one 20-minute stop will be permitted to pick up things such as a prescription or dependent.

To take advantage of this program, you must be a current UW faculty or staff member with an active U-PASS membership or a permit for one of Transportation Services’ secure bike facilities (house or locker) on campus. Eligible individuals can utilize this service up to eight times in a fiscal year (July-June).

Qualifying circumstances include:

• Illness: either personal or of a child or dependent
• Family emergency
• Personal emergencies (ex. house flooding)
• Changes to rideshare plans without advance notice, such as carpool or vanpool driver needing to leave early
• Unanticipated need to work late when reliable and safe transportation is no longer available (must be approved by supervisor)

Circumstances that are not covered by the program include:

• Travel to scheduled appointment
• Travel from somewhere other than your work site
• Travel to a destination other than your home, park & ride, daycare or hospital
• Planned schedule changes where you will be working late but have had advance notice
• Missing your bus if another bus is scheduled to arrive or you were not required to work late
• Travel due to a regional natural disaster (ex. earthquake)

To receive a reimbursement:

1. Call any taxi or ride hailing service (town car and limousine services are not eligible).
2. Request a receipt that indicates the pick-up, drop-off point and the fare paid, not including tip.
3. Submit the receipt, along with reason for the ride, to Transportation Services.

Please submit receipts within the appropriate current quarter. We are unable to reimburse receipts that are more than three months old. 

Submit reimbursement request

For questions about this program, please email commutequestions@uw.edu. 

Mobility impaired customers who are eligible for the transit services listed below can pay for trips with their U-PASS.

Payment setup

For Community Transit and Kitsap Transit, simply inform the agency when booking your transit that you will by paying with your U-PASS. For King County Metro, Everett Transit and Pierce Transit, you need to set up payment information in advance through UW Transportation Services. Email commutequestions@uw.edu to let us know you will be using your U-PASS for paratransit, along with the following information:

• The name of the transit agency you plan to use
• Your first and last name 
• Your phone number and email
• Your U-PASS serial number (8-digit code on the back of your Husky Card, this is a different number than your UW ID number)
• ACCESS ID (for King County Metro only)

Booking & using paratransit

• King County Metro Accessible Services: Contact the ADA Paratransit Program at 206-205-5000 (TTY Relay: 711). When booking your ride, tell the service representative that you have a U-PASS.
• Community Transit Dial-A-Ride (DART): Call 425-347-5912 and tell the operator you’re going to pay for your ride with a U-PASS. Show your pass to the driver when you board the shuttle.
• Kitsap Transit ACCESS: When scheduling a ride on ACCESS, tell the customer service representative that you are a U-PASS member. They will verify your U-PASS and record it. It is not necessary to show your pass to the driver.
• Pierce Transit SHUTTLE: Call 253-581-8000 and tell the customer service representative you have a U-PASS.
• Everett Transit Para Transit: When scheduling a ride let the customer service representative know you are paying with a U-PASS. Show your pass to the driver when you board the shuttle.

Inter-county paratransit transfer trips

Riders who book an inter-county paratransit transfer trip with their home agency pay only for their home agency shuttle, and therefore only need to tell that agency that they have a U-PASS. Riders who book a trip through a different transit agency are expected to pay full fare for that trip, and therefore should tell that agency that they have a U-PASS.

For example: an Everett Para Transit customer booking an inter-county trip from Everett to Tacoma would notify Everett Para Transit that they have a U-PASS. Everett Para Transit would schedule the round trip, and the rider would only pay full fare each time they board Everett Para Transit (the home agency) no matter how many shuttles they ride. If the same customer calls King County Metro to book a trip from Seattle to another destination in King County, they would need to tell Metro that they have a U-PASS.

U-PASS members are eligible for discounts at the following businesses when presenting a Husky card or using a listed discount code. (For more UW discounts, see The Whole U.)

• Alchemy Goods: 20% off, in-store only
• Clipper Vacations: 10% off when using promo code “UPASS” online or over the phone
• Recycled Cycles: 10% off all parts and accessories
• Zipcar: Reduced membership fees for UW students, faculty and staff.

Reactivating your U-PASS

If your U-PASS stops working unexpectedly, you may need to reactivate it before using it again. To do that, fill out the online form and allow 12 to 24 hours for the reactivation to process. Then tap your Husky Card on an ORCA reader to finalize the activation.

UW Seattle
U-PASS Reactivation

Troubleshooting

If you tap your U-PASS on an ORCA card reader and you don’t get a happy beep and green light, try again, making sure to tap your card on the ORCA logo at the center of the card reader and hold it there for several seconds. Also make sure you separate your Husky Card from any other cards you may have that include RFID technology (ie: UWMC badge).

If you still do not get a positive response, log into your MyUW account with your phone and click on the Accounts tab. You can show that your U-PASS membership is current/active and use it as a “flash pass” for the driver.

Also, contact Transportation Services at 206-221-3701 or ucommute@uw.edu as soon as you are able about your U-PASS issues. Please provide the following:

• Your name and UW employee or student ID number
• Name of the transit agency you were taking
• The route number
• Destination
• The time you boarded the bus or train
• Bus vehicle number (found inside the bus above the bus windshield, as well as on the sides, front and rear of the bus)

Keep your Husky Card healthy: Your Husky Card contains an antenna. If you cut, scratch, bend or punch a hole in the card you will damage the antenna and your card will not function properly.

Lost or stolen cards

You must inform the Husky Card Office at once if you believe your Husky Card has been lost or stolen. The best way to report a lost or stolen Husky Card is through the Husky Card Online Office, where you can suspend activity on your Husky Card Account until the Husky Card is found or replaced. You may also contact the Husky Card Office at 206-543-7222 or by email at huskycrd@uw.edu.

There is a $25 replacement fee for your Husky Card, but no additional fee to replace the U-PASS. Once the Husky Card Office issues a new card, your U-PASS will be transferred electronically and will be available for use 12 to 24 hours after card replacement.

To replace a Temp Pass, please visit the Transportation Services office.

Understanding U-PASS and ORCA

ORCA is the fare payment system for Puget Sound area transit systems. When you use your U-PASS, the smart chip inside your Husky Card interacts with the ORCA system. So while you can use your Husky Card in many similar ways to a standard ORCA card, it’s important to know how they are different as well:

• You cannot register your Husky Card with the ORCA system.
• You cannot load funds into an ORCA E-Purse using your Husky Card.
• You could technically load a PugetPass or Washington State Ferries pass onto a Husky Card but we don’t advise it as the pass will be lost if your card is lost, stolen or damaged.

To purchase a standard ORCA Card and take advantage of the E-purse, card registration, autoload or other ORCA program features, please go to http://www.orcacard.com.

Privacy

No personal information is stored on your Husky Card’s smart chip. Data on the chip indicates if you have an active U-PASS and information about your most recent transit trips.

Travel data is also stored in the ORCA databases controlled by the transit agencies. This data is used for billing purposes in order to support transfer functions and fare apportionment amongst participating transit agencies. For more information, read the ORCA privacy statement.

The UW does not track where you use your U-PASS. Transportation Services is the only office with information on who has a valid U-PASS and will keep this information private in accordance with UW privacy policies. Transportation Services staff do not have access to  personally identifiable travel data.