No Free Parking for UC Monopoly
One of college students’ main concerns is money. College is expensive, and costs begin to snowball rapidly. Students seek financial aid, but that only goes so far and most of it must be repaid. Here at UC, many of the services they provide seem overly expensive and do little to alleviate this ever growing ball of debt, especially when it comes to parking passes. When it comes down to it, the University of Cincinnati’s parking passes are too expensive, and the prices should be lowered.
Some may argue that if the costs are too high, don’t bring a car. However, some students can’t avoid it. For example, commuters don’t live on campus and must get here somehow to take classes. Public transportation is an option, but many students find it more convenient and time efficient to drive themselves. On the other hand, people that do live on campus may need a car to get to a workplace, extracurricular activity, or even a community service project – which may need to be completed to keep a scholarship.
Students could forgo a parking pass and choose to park off campus on the streets, but by doing so they are risking not finding a parking spot and a opening themselves to a higher susceptibility to theft and vandalism. Furthermore, walking back to your car by yourself late at night is extremely dangerous. It could be argued that a car isn’t a necessity, but many students would disagree, arguing that the alternatives are inefficient and inconvenient.
On average, a UC student pays $186 per quarter for parking. That amounts to $558 dollars a scholastic year. When compared to the average tuition of UC – $17,895 – this may not seem like a lot. However, working part time (20 hours) at minimum wage ($5.15 per hour), it would take 6 weeks to earn enough money to pay for a parking pass. Furthermore, if the parking pass is paid off using a loan, that money must still be repaid -- with interest -- costing the student even more money. Despite the parking pass costs seeming insignificant, it is actually quite a chunk of change coming straight out of the students’ pocket.
The price of parking at UC is excessive. The most expensive garage is the CCM garage, costing $792 a year, and the least expensive is the zone 4 garage, costing $234 a year. It is definitely a necessity for students to have a parking pass if they have a car; especially if they live on campus. Students have to buy a pass every quarter for the duration of their time at UC in order to use the parking structures. Furthermore, UC also has parking lots, which are generally less expensive than garages. The most expensive lot owned by UC is the zone 3 lot, costing $324 a year, while the least expensive lot is $162 a year (Parking Services). It would seem that UC students have to pay a pretty penny so they can have a place to park their cars.
When comparing the parking costs of the University of Cincinnati to other colleges throughout Ohio, UC’s prices are noticeably higher. Miami University in Oxford on average charges their students a mere $60 for an entire year of parking (Fees and Expenses). This amount is ten times less then a year of parking in some of the garages at UC. Other schools in Ohio that have staggeringly lower prices for parking are the University of Toledo (Current Student Parking Rates) and the Ohio State University (Permit Prices), both of which charge students less than $80 a school year.
Not every school charges such a small amount for parking, but the others are still lower then our University. Our neighboring college, Xavier University (Schedule of Tuition and Fees), and the University of Dayton (Permit Cost and Refunds), charge only an $120 annual fee for parking; this is about the same amount UC charges for one quarter at their cheapest garage. Many other colleges offer parking in outside lots, as well. The prices are generally in the same range as UC’s cheapest outdoor lot; however, UC’s lot is four blocks away from campus, while the lots at the other school are on campus. Most other schools in Ohio do not feel the need to charge such obscene prices, so these statistics can leave students wondering what makes UC’s concrete so special.
This trend continues when comparing UC’s rates to those of universities outside of Ohio. Ball State is a university in Indiana. This school has prices very similar to UC’s: a lot costs students $275 a year, and a garage costs $335 annually (Parking Services: Students). Kentucky State has on campus lots which the students pay $30 to use for the year (Cost Chart). That is one-fifth the cost of the cheapest lot at UC, which is the lot previously noted as being located four blocks from campus.
Northern Kentucky University has both lots and garages. The lots cost $96 a year, and the two parking garages are both free (NKU Schedule of Tuition and Fees)! Students at UC are paying hundreds of dollars just to park at or near the university, while NKU is able to have parking garages and charge the students nothing to park there. UC students are not asking for free parking, they are asking for reasonably priced parking. By comparing UC’s rates to those of other schools, the exorbitant nature of UC’s rates is made much more apparent.
Having a car is a big necessity for students to maintain a stable lifestyle which involves traveling to jobs, classes, community programs, and friends’ homes. Buying a parking pass is almost the only option. Public transportation can be dangerous when you consider waiting at a bus stop late at night, or even a confrontation on the bus. It can also be inefficient and inconvenient. Considering that most college students are living on their own for the first time in their lives, having something to comfort them is essential to alleviate anxiety. However, the UC parking passes – when compared to other colleges -- are too expensive, leaving students with hardly an option besides shelling out hundreds of dollars so they can have a car. Hopefully, if the students make their voice heard about this topic, the administrators at the parking services office can make a compromise that makes both parties happy.

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