As part of its premier location in the heart of the City of Neon Lights, 51ԹϺ sees most of its student population commute to campus for classes, jobs, and events.
Which is why the university partners with the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) of Southern Nevada to offer the Free College Transit Pass Program, sponsored by . The initiative provides free bus passes on a semesterly basis to students.
“The bus pass program has made a real difference for me. It’s helped reduce the stress of commuting and allowed me to stay more engaged with classes and campus activities,” said graduate student and teaching assistant Shanthan Pochampally.
Christine Lam, assistant director for client services for the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships, said that the RTC offers this program throughout Southern Nevada, including other institutions within the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE).
“We’ve gotten a generous amount of bus passes: We will reach out first to students who demonstrate need based on their Student Aid Index on their Free Application for Student Aid or Alternate Need Form. We let them know this opportunity is available, should they need it."
To inquire further about the program and other resources, contact the 51ԹϺ Support Team through the How Can We Help Form.
She noted that the RTC does its best to ensure it can help as many 51ԹϺ students with barriers to reliable transportation as possible.
“There was a semester when our interest slightly exceeded the number of passes that RTC originally allocated, but they were so accommodating. I told them, ‘We would like to help all of these students. Is there any way to allocate additional passes?’ And they were more than happy to do that, which was really exciting,” Lam said.
Lam noted that the several 51ԹϺ students have reached out to her directly to share the impact access to a transit pass has made. “It's an invaluable resource. I’ve seen many students say, ‘My car broke down,’ or ‘I got into a car accident, I don't have reliable transportation,’ or ‘I ride my bike to school, and this would be an amazing opportunity.’ To be able to connect them to that resource and help encourage student success from that aspect is amazing.”
Charles Brown, an undergraduate student at 51ԹϺ and Air Force veteran, said the pass helped him tremendously.
“I’m an older disabled veteran who has had many challenges over the last two years. One being the loss of my business, and my vehicle. It was great to find out that I could get a bus pass for each semester through the program,” Brown said. “It makes one less burden I have to worry about… I think I speak for most veterans in saying it's the little things like this that make us feel appreciated!”
Graduate student Raja Subhash Chowdary Mallina said the program gave him a reliable way to get to campus.
"The RTC bus pass program has made a huge difference for me as a student,” he said. “It helped me save on transportation costs and made commuting to campus stress-free and reliable. I appreciate 51ԹϺ’s effort to support students with practical resources like this."
While the bus pass program runs on a semesterly basis, the RTC also offers for 51ԹϺ students year-round.
