NYC is one of the most expensive cities to live in not only in the United States but the world. As prices in transportation, rent, food and more continue to increase across the city, students are finding it increasingly difficult to budget and keep costs down. Although most of these cost increases are out of our control, public transportation costs should not be something students have to splurge on. In August of 2023, the MTA increased fares from $2.75 to $2.90. Despite this 15-cent increase seeming small, for riders utilizing public transport numerous times daily, that 15-cent increase adds up fairly quickly.
Some universities like The City University of New York (CUNY) have responded to increases in public transportation costs by offering students access to free metro cards. With the University’s high commuter population, one wonders why they haven’t followed CUNY’s lead. For full-time students commuting to school in the city, transportation can cost around $1,200 annually. It would make sense for the University to offer students access to free or discounted metro cards considering the proximity of our dorms and buildings to the subway stations.
This also seems like something the University has promised to its students but not fulfilled. Within tuition, one of the costs students pay is for “transportation.” One would assume that this means the money students pay in their tuition covers these costs yet the school has done nothing to compensate those who commute to campus. Commuters of the University have less money for meal plans as they don’t live on campus so it would make sense to compensate for their daily travels.
Although it feels like the responsibility to provide discounted fares for students should fall on the city, it also feels highly unlikely the initiative would be prioritized let alone implemented by city leaders. Realistic or not, providing free metro cards to students commuting to university in the city is an initiative that would positively influence the city in the long run. Today, in order to land a high-paying job one must have a college degree and to help those achieve that goal, the city needs to invest in its young people. By helping students access higher education through decreased transportation costs, we may see more students motivated to pursue or remain in university.
One of the University’s biggest selling points for prospective students is that New York City is our campus as they offer students access to one of the best and biggest cities in the world. With that sentiment in mind, giving students access to free metro cards would enable students to experience that campus, whether it’s exploring NYC’s myriad of public libraries, parks or visiting museums. Giving students free access to transportation to facilitate those experiences would not only take the financial burden of transportation off students but it may motivate students to explore the city if they don’t have an added cost to factor in.
