Eligible students have two options to acquire their UPass: they can either register for the Calgary Transit MyFare or Transit app or collect their UPass stickers from the ONECard Desk, located inside the Cougar Campus Store (H100). To receive the UPass sticker, students must present a valid ONECard. Please note that if your ONECard is cracked, damaged, or if the photo is no longer visible, it must be replaced before obtaining the UPass.

It's important to ensure you obtain your UPass before the start of the semester. Failure to provide valid proof of payment while using transit may result in a fine of at least $250.

All students registered as full-time credit students during the Fall and/or Winter semesters are eligible for the UPass. Full-time status is defined as being enrolled in 9 or more credits per semester, exclusively through Mount Royal University. Exclusions apply to part-time students, non-credit students, academic upgrading participants, diploma program enrollees, ESL program attendees, co-op program participants, and continuing education program enrollees.

Students enrolled in full-time certificate programs offered by Continuing Education, such as the ESL program or Bridge to Canadian Nursing, do not qualify for the UPass program.

If you're unsure about your registration status, you can log in to myMRU and review your "Account summary by term." If the S/A UPass fee appears on your account, you're eligible for a UPass for that semester.

Please note that changes to your course registration, such as adding or dropping courses, can impact your eligibility status. Therefore, if you've recently made changes to your registration, we recommend waiting 48 hours before collecting your UPass.

If you are a full-time credit student, the fee is included with your tuition amounts. The costs for the upcoming Academic Years are as follows: 

The UPass program provides full-time students with unlimited transit access during the Fall and Winter semesters only. UPasses are not currently issued for the Spring or Summer semesters.

The Fall semester UPass is valid from September 1st to December 31st.

The Winter semester UPass is valid from January 1st to April 30th.

Students should verify the validity of their UPass before traveling to ensure uninterrupted access to transit.

Only eligible students may apply to opt-out of the program and receive a refund of their UPass fee. To opt-out, students must complete the opt-out form available at the ONECard Desk, and submit it to our service counter (H100) before the posted deadline. Photocopies of students' proof of opt-out eligibility will be made, with the original documentation returned to the student.

The deadlines for opting-out are:

• Fall semester UPass: September 23, 2024
• Winter semester UPass: January 20, 2025

• Students who are physically disabled and rely on Handi-Bus or Access Calgary services.
• Students who cannot use either of Calgary Transit regular services or specialised services due to disability.
• Students who are legally blind and possess a CNIB bus pass.
• Students enrolled in directed field studies courses that necessitate relocation from Calgary.
• Outbound exchange students studying abroad.
• Senior citizens with purchased senior citizens' bus passes.
• Students registered in a distance learning program ant not attending classes on campus during the term.
• Calgary Transit employees entitled to free transit under their Collective Bargaining Agreement

IMPORTANT NOTICE
According the Calgary Transit and in accordance with the UPass contract, students cannot opt-out of the UPass program with the purchase of low-income bus passes. This is not a valid criteria for opting out of the program.

If you do not fall under any of these categories, you cannot opt-out of the UPass program.

Mount Royal University established its UPass program in response to increasing student demand for more affordable and sustainable transportation options. Following requests from various student groups and in alignment with the adoption of similar programs at other Calgary institutions like the University of Calgary and SAIT, the Students' Association initiated discussions on implementing a UPass program.

Students identified the need for cheaper transportation to and from school, as well as the importance of reducing greenhouse gas emissions through sustainable transit choices. In January 2005, the Students' Association conducted a referendum to gauge student support for a mandatory universal transit pass program. Subsequent referendums were held in March 2006 and March 2007, with students consistently voting in favor of implementing the UPass program at Mount Royal.

Call 403.268.1969 or email MyFare@calgary.ca.

Call 403.440.7711 or email ONECard@mtroyal.ca.