School is back in session and students have several options to get to class with the VIA Semester for all students and VIA U-Pass for students at participating colleges and universities.
The VIA Semester Pass offers unlimited rides during the semester on all VIA service except VIAtrans and Special Event Service. The semester pass costs $38 and is available to students at elementary, middle school, high school, college and trade schools.
Students can either obtain a Semester Pass sticker that is placed on the school-issued I.D., or get a VIA-issued goCard, that serves at the student’s I.D. and is loaded with the Semester Pass. The goCard allows students to tap on validator to pay the fare when boarding.The Semester Pass is valid through July 31, 2020.
With the VIA U-Pass, students, faculty and staff at participating local colleges and universities can enjoy a major perk for their spring schedules — free, unlimited access to bus service anywhere in the VIA service area.
Through their schools’ partnerships with the VIA U-Pass program, over 90,000 students, faculty, and staff members at the University of Texas at San Antonio and all Alamo Colleges, as well as students enrolled at Our Lady of the Lake University and the University of the Incarnate Word, have free access to unlimited trips on regular bus service throughout the school year, including spring, summer, and fall sessions. Local tech incubator CodeUp has also signed up to provide U-Pass benefits, signaling a program expansion and even more users who can ride fare-free.
The VIA U-Pass is designed to provide convenient access to public transportation and help address the challenges of growing student populations with limited and often expensive parking options on or near campus. VIA offers efficient, affordable travel options and provides modern passenger perks like free 4G LTE Wi-Fi on all its buses, instant access to the Bexar BiblioTech e-library for all riders, and several frequent and direct routes.
For more information about the U-Pass, or VIA’s Semester Pass, visit VIA’s Reduced Fare page. Schools interested in partnering with VIA to offer the U-Pass can call 210-362-2020.