The struggle of parking needs to change at UVM

I purchased a parking pass this semester for the first time.

Finally having my car made me realize the difficulties of parking on campus.

This struggle led me to one realization: paying to park on-campus or off-campus is risky when it shouldn’t be. 

I’m from Pennsylvania. Flying into school is simply not a financial option for many of out-of-state students. It cost over $600 for my 45 minute round-trip flight over Thanksgiving break. 

Only 2,800 of the school’s 10,656 U.S. students are from Vermont, according to UVM’s Student Graphic Origins.

Flying to school may not make economic sense for most of the 7,856 out-of-state students. This accounts for many cars on-campus.

The problem of parking is not exclusive to on-campus students.

UVM charges $2 per day for Commuter Parking Permits, according to the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute’s parking webpage. 

For five days a week, for 15-weeks a semester, it costs $150.

This is comparable to the $180 Resident Purple Parking Permit that on-campus students pay for a full semester, according to UVM Parking Services. 

The purple pass, which I have, only lets me park in the lot outside of my building.

After paying thousands of dollars to attend UVM and live on or off-campus, students pay hundreds to park on-campus and are not guaranteed parking due to students parking in lots they should not be. 

I often get anxious about parking on campus at night. Often, there are no spots open in the spaces I’m allowed to park in, so the only places I can park put me at risk for being fined or towed. 

Students should not still risk fines or towing for parking.

UVM should find a way to house cars for all of their student population.

The point of paying for college is paying for full access to a university — to its classrooms, libraries, gyms, dorms, dining halls and parking spots.

It’s time for UVM to spend our tuition dollars on us. It’s time for them to provide students free parking spots, both on and off campus.