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17 October 2011
Posted in
GPSS Campus Affairs -
TAP Updates
Please read ALL of the information below before purchasing. Limited number of passes available. Do not contact USC Transportation regarding this program, instead contact the Graduate Student Government through the "Contact Us" button near the top of this web page. Thanks!
Discounted Metro TAP Cards are Available for Graduate and Professional Degree Students on a Limited Basis
Los Angeles, California, December 26, 2011 - USC’s Graduate Student Government (Formerly Graduate and Professional Student Senate), in partnership with USC Transportation and Los Angeles County Metro, is proud to present the continuation of the discounted Metro TAP card program for $55.50 for all full-time fee-paying graduate and professional degree students for the Spring 2012 semester.
Students will be able to purchase a discounted pass, which allows them unlimited rides on Metro Bus and Rail, Metro Rapid and Metro Liner from January 9th until May 9th, 2012. Students will save at least $85 for this eighteen-week program.
Normally, Metro TAP cards for students cost about $200 for eighteen weeks and require a lengthy application process in order to be approved for usage by full time students enrolled in at least 12 units. This program has been extended in response to the success of the fall semester program and it will be available to all graduate and professional students who are enrolled as full-time students, regardless of unit enrollment. With the expected opening of the Exposition Line next to USC, this program offers students the opportunity to travel to campus and explore Los Angeles in a cheap and environmentally friendly fashion.
Full-time graduate students can opt into the program by paying a $55.50 co-payment fee, plus a one-time $5 card fee for new users, through the “public transit” tab of the USC Transportation website (http://usc.edu/parking) on a first come, first served basis. For new participants in the program, the specially designed USC TAP cards will be available for pick up at the GPSS office in Tutor Campus Center, Room 224. This TAP card is usable for several semesters, and may be refilled with a regular Metro pass after graduation.
People who participated in the fall pilot program can renew their cards by paying on-line and have their cards re-filled at the USC Graduate Student Government office starting Monday, January 9th. For questions or comments, email gpsscamp@usc.edu.
About:
USC’s Graduate Student Government (GSG), (formerly Graduate and Professional Student Senate) is the official student government representing all graduate and professional degree students at USC. GPSS serves to advocate and fund programs on behalf of the graduate student population. For more information visit www.gpssusc.com.
Frequently Asked Questions about TAP Program.
Where and when can I pick up my USC TAP card?
You must FIRST pay for the card at the Graduate Student Government Office during the office hours listed below. Then, you may pick up your USC TAP card in the GSG Office (Tutor Campus Center Room 224) one business day later from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. PLEASE bring your old TAP card if you are re-filling a card you recieved in the fall program. After that, you can pick up your card in the GSG Office during normal business hours, Monday-Friday 10:00AM-4:00PM
Where can I use the USC TAP card?
You can use the USC TAP card on any Metro bus or train, including Rapid Transit buses, the Silver Line and the upcoming Exposition Line.
How long does this pass last?
The pass can be used from January, 9th to May 9th. Unfortunately, we do not have a program for Summer 2012 in place and likely will not. However, we are looking into expanding the program to future years.
Is this program available to recent graduates?
No. Unfortunately, the pass is available only for current full-time, fee-paying USC graduate students.
What do you mean by full-time?
Metro offers a discounted student pass ($36/month) for full-time students, i.e., student who take at least a certain number of credits. USC’s TAP pass is available for all students who qualify as full-time according to USC’s guidelines, which includes Ph.D. students who are full time even if they do not take enough credits to qualify them as full time in Metro’s definition.
How much can I save with this program?
That depends on how often you ride and how you pay for your Metro fare. If you purchase Metro’s 30-day student pass ($36/month), you can save at least $45 over the nine week period. If you ride Metro occasionally and purchase one-way tickets individually, you will save money after 20 one-way trips. In other words, if you take Metro at least slightly more often than twice a week (i.e., one round trip per week), you will save money over the nine-week period.
How is GSG managing to offer this program?
Through a three-year long process, GSG was able to convince the USC administration to approve an $8.50 per semester student fee for graduate students (although it is only $4.50 per semester during the 2011-2012 school year). These funds are being used to subsidize the cost of a TAP card for those students who need or would like to use public transit while attending USC.
What happened to the program that was supposed to occur earlier and why did the cost of the USC TAP card change?
The previous program was based on earlier negotiations with Metro which Metro had to reject based on survey data on ridership. Metro rejected the earlier program, because, as a public organization, it needs to use data to prove its efforts to remain revenue neutral in any such programs with universities.
I lost my card. What do I do?
I cannot make it to the listed hours to pick up my card.
Yes, you may cancel your parking pass and receive a pro-rated refund.
Can I purchase more than one card?
No. A student can only purchase one card.
Is this program available to Virtual Academic (online) students?
Although this program is made available to all USC graduate students, this does not include VAC students because they do not pay the Student Programming Fee, which is utilized to subsidize the cost of the TAP passes.
