Universal Transit Pass (U-Pass)

The U-Pass gives all University of Alberta students unlimited access to public transit using the Edmonton Transit System, Beaumont Transit, Fort Saskatchewan Transit, Leduc Transit, Spruce Grove Transit, City of St. Albert Transit, and Strathcona County Transit (an overview of the U-Pass program can be found on the Edmonton Transit Service (ETS) website).

Students pay for the U-Pass via the U-Pass fee, assessed as a non-instructional fee.

Effective Fall 2021, the U-Pass program moved to a smart fare system using the Arc card.

 

Arc Card Information for Students

 

All students must now have an Arc Card to access the U-Pass.

  1. Arc Cards are no longer being provided free. There is a $6 charge for the card.
  2.  If you already have an Arc card and are being assessed and paying the U-Pass fee on Bear Tracks, you can continue to use the same card. You do NOT need to purchase one. 
  3. New students for the Fall 2023 and Winter 2024 terms can purchase their Arc Card at participating retailers. You can also purchase an Arc card online and have it shipped to your home.
  4. New students must register their card on the U-Pass App.

 

 

For more information on U-Pass and how it works.

History of the U-Pass
The current U-Pass agreement was approved through a referendum in 2021, but the program was originally established by referendum in 2007. The GSA negotiates for the U-Pass on behalf of GSA members, alongside the Students' Union and student associations from other Edmonton post-secondary institutions that have the program.