U-Pass Important Dates

Full-time and part-time NorQuest College students who have been assessed the Students’ Association fee who are taking classes within the Edmonton city limits and/or have an in person practicum are eligible for the U-Pass. The U-Pass is mandatory for all eligible students and administered by the Students’ Association of NorQuest College.

The U-Pass fees are collected by NorQuest College on behalf of SANQC. If you want to confirm that you have been assessed the U-Pass fee, please check your fee assessment or your MyQuest account for details for the appropriate terms.

The fees for the U-Pass will be assessed for each Fall, Winter and Spring/Summer terms that an eligible student is registered.

As part of the most recently signed agreement, the cost of the U-Pass will be:

• 2021-22: $180 per term (Fall, Winter and Spring/Summer)
• 2022-23: $180 per term (Fall, Winter and Spring/Summer)
• 2023-24: $180 per term (Fall, Winter and Spring/Summer)
• 2024-25: $180 per term (Fall, Winter and Spring/Summer)

That’s right, the cost of the U-Pass won’t increase in price until at least 2025-26! Compare that to the cost of a ETS monthly pass (currently $100 per month) and that’s a savings of $220 per term!

Looking to activate your U-Pass? Follow these steps:

• You can check to see if you’re eligible for a U-Pass by checking your MyQuest. If you’re eligible, you’ll see a fee for the U-Pass on your financial statement.
• If you already have an Arc card, you can keep using it. If you need an Arc card, visit myarc.ca for information on where to purchase one.
• Go to your MyQuest, where you will see the Arc icon/Activate U-Pass tile. Click on it and follow the instructions to activate or replace your Arc card which will load your U-Pass to your Arc card. Please note, if you’re a returning student who had an activated U-Pass the previous term, your new U-Pass may already be automatically activated for you. Please check the status of your U-Pass in your MyQuest to see if it is active.
• Once you have completed this process, it could take as little as 15 minutes or as long as a few hours to activate. Once your U-Pass has successfully been added, you can start using your Arc card for transit.
• To use your U-Pass, tap your Arc card on the card readers when using public transit in the service areas. You will either tap your card in the “Proof of Payment Area” on the LRT platforms or upon boarding.

*Please note: U-Passes can only be given to the student who the charge is applied to. Under no circumstances can a U-Pass be issued on a students’ behalf, whether it’s to another student, friend or family member.

If you already have an Arc card, you DO NOT need a new one! You can use the same Arc card with your new U-Pass.

If you need an Arc card, visit myarc.ca for information on where to purchase one.

Please keep in mind that it could take a few hours for the U-Pass to activate on your Arc card after you register it. If you are experiencing issues with your card, please stop by the SANQC Office (1-114, SCFL) or email students.association@norquest.ca and we will help you resolve the issue.

If your Arc card with your activated U-Pass becomes lost or stolen, here’s what you do:

• Purchase a new Arc card. Visit myarc.ca for information on where to purchase one.
• Go to your MyQuest, where you will see the Arc icon/Activate U-Pass tile. Click on it and follow the instructions to replace an Arc card which will transfer your U-Pass from your lost or stolen card to your new Arc card.
• You will not be charged a U-Pass replacement fee like there was with the previous sticker process!
• As you’ll notice, this is almost an identical process to when you activated your first Arc card. Replacing a lost or stolen card to access your U-Pass again is just that easy!

• Students with a valid Dedicated Accessible Transit Service (DATS) registration, Strathcona County Mobility Bus registration, St. Albert Handibus registration, Accessible Transit Service (ATS) registration, Fort Saskatchewan Special Transportation Services Society (STSS) registration or Leduc Assisted Transportation Services (LATS) registration. Must be able to prove their registration in the service being used by providing their registration card during the opt-out process. ETS will accept the U-Pass on DATS so you may want to keep the U-Pass in that case.
• Students with a valid Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) registration and is able to prove their registration with a valid CNIB-issued photo ID card.
• Students who have a practicum outside of the service area for longer than eight (8) consecutive weeks during the term. Must provide a letter from your program that indicates the student’s name, student ID as well as the dates and location of the practicum.
• Students who are currently an employee of a participating transit system and is able to provide written confirmation on official letterhead of their employment at the beginning of each term.
• Students who are registered and have received a U-Pass at another participating institution. Proof of U-Pass payment including your name as well as the term the U-Pass payment is for is required.

In addition, as part of a pilot project, the contract the following students will be able to request an exemption:

• NorQuest students 65 or older during an academic term and can provide government issued picture ID to verify.
• NorQuest students receiving financial assistance from Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) program immediately before an academic term begins. Please contact your AISH worker or visit here to request an AISH verification letter.
• NorQuest students whose principal residence is outside of a 100 km radius from main campus. To qualify for this exemption the student must provide proof of residency (utility bill in the student’s name, driver’s license, etc).

Any student meeting any of the above criteria can apply for a U-Pass exemption by the deadline for that term. Contact us at students.association@norquest.ca or call 780.644.6250 with any questions you may have.

To see if you are eligible for a U-Pass exemption based on residing more than a 100 km radius from campus, perform the following steps:

1. Go to Google Maps
2. Search for your address then right click on the pin the map provides.
3. Select “Measure distance” from the drop down list that appears.
4. Now search for “NorQuest College Edmonton Campus”
5. Zoom in as much as possible.
6. Left click on the campus and a line should appear showing you the distance from your residence to the campus.
7. If this distance is over 100 km, you may be eligible to opt-out of the U-Pass program.

If you believe that you are eligible for this exemption, visit the SANQC Office (1-114) in the Singhmar Centre for Learning. You will need to provide proof of residence during the opt-out process such as a utility bill in your name, a driver’s license, etc.

For an idea of what areas are within a 100 km radius of campus, check out the graphic below.