The CTA established the U-PASS program for eligible full-time students at accredited‚ postsecondary‚ degree-granting schools within the CTA service area. It is an attempt to provide a transportation program that will reduce the demand for parking‚ reduce pollution‚ provide low-cost transportation to students and increase access to the Chicago metropolitan area.

You will see a charge of $178 on your Adler University account that covers unlimited rides for the entire semester. 

You may also choose to add funds to your Ventra card using cash or a personal credit card; funds may be added at any CTA station with a Ventra machine.  These additional funds will only be accessed for transit when your U-PASS benefit is not in effect.

All students enrolled full-time in an on-campus academic program are automatically enrolled in and billed for the UPASS.

You may be waived or opt-out for the U-Pass only if you:

• Live outside of the CTA ridership area.
• Reside outside of the state for an internship.
• Already receive a discounted CTA pass from an employer, Veterans Affairs, or paratransit services.

If you believe you are eligible, please complete the online form provided by the Office of Student Affairs. The form must be received by the Add/Drop Deadline each semester (fall, spring, and summer). In order to meet tuition payment deadlines, you must pay the total balance owed on your student account, including the U-PASS fee. If your waiver is approved, the charge will be removed from your bill after the Add/Drop period has closed.   

Please note, you must submit an opt-out form EACH TERM that you would like to opt-out of the U-Pass benefit.

No changes to U-PASS waiver or opt-out requests will be accepted following the add/drop deadline for each term. If your waiver request is approved, the charge will be removed from your account after the add/drop period has closed. 

Questions about your student bill should be directed to Student Accounts at StudentAccounts@adler.edu. 

For lost or stolen Ventra U-Pass cards, the CTA will issue a replacement fee through the Self-Service system. Email Student Accounts or visit their office on the 15th floor. The replacement fee is an administrative fee paid to the CTA to cover costs of verifying your eligibility, voiding your old card, creating and shipping the new card, and updating their database with your new data. The replacement fee is non-refundable and once a new card is ordered, your old U-Pass will be deactivated.

Malfunctioning cards should be reported to Student Affairs. You must also pay a non-refundable fee to replace the damaged card for every damaged card after the first. The new one will be sent to Adler and you will be notified via e-mail when your it arrives.

The U-Pass program now includes paratransit services for eligible students. Students who are unable to use fixed route public transportation due to a disability may be eligible for Paratransit Service, a shared ride program offered by the Regional Transit Authority (RTA). Students must be certified by the RTA in order to use the service.

The U-Pass will be valid for CTA travel during the Fall semester, Spring Semester, and Summer 1 and Summer 2 Sessions when you are a full-time student. U-Pass cards are activated based on each student’s eligibility per the official academic calendar. Adler’s U-Pass is always activated the first day of classes and deactivated after the last day of term.

Your U-Pass is not transferable and may be confiscated by the CTA for a full calendar year if it is presented for transportation by anyone other than you. You may also be subject to criminal prosecution for willful misuse of the U-Pass or for submitting a photo for the card that depicts someone other than you. The CTA reserves the right to inspect your U-Pass and/or ask for additional forms of identification to ensure that you are the rightful owner.  You may be denied access to the CTA system if you are not in possession of both your U-Pass and additional identification.

The following issues with the U-Pass system may impact students:

• $0 balance. This usually means you did not activate the card when you received it. Call 1-877-450-5328 to activate your card.
• The card readers used by CTA buses and trains are capable of reading any debit card with a blink logo. If a debit card is accidentally exposed to the card reader, the card may be charged for your fare, even if you haven’t registered it with the CTA or the Ventra system.  You are encouraged to keep your Ventra U-PASS in a separate location from your other debit or credit cards to avoid this complication.
• Insufficient Funds. The CTA’s system may let cardholders accrue a negative balance. This happens when you accidentally double tap your card during the semester (the first tap will register against your U-PASS benefit but the second tap will count as a full-fare ride) or if you use the Ventra card between semesters without loading funds on it (you may be permitted to enter, but your balance will drop below zero).  This ability to accumulate a negative balance is temporary and may need to be rectified before a new semester of U-PASS benefits is activated.  
• If you receive an “insufficient funds” message when trying to utilize the CTA, login to your Ventra account to see if you have a negative balance. If you do, you will need to pay it off at any Ventra Card Machine or your Ventra account (located in most train station lobbies). 
• If you are unable to determine the cause of the issue, Ventra Customer Call Center at 1.877.NOW.VENTRA (1.877.669.8368), open Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. CST and Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST.
• The chip inside the Ventra U-PASS card is sensitive and defacing your card in any way may make it unusable.  Do not attempt to punch a hole in the card in order to connect it to a lanyard or carry it on a keychain.
• Ventra cards may be used on PACE buses, but the U-PASS benefit does not apply to these rides.  If you wish to use your card on the PACE system, you must first load funds to your account.

No, the CTA Ventra U-Pass will be valid for five years. Each student is required to activate their Ventra U-Pass when they first receive it by calling the number listed on the back of the card, going to the Ventra website, or using the Ventra mobile app. This should be done prior to the student’s first attempt to use the card, or the card will not work on the system.

The student will need to provide the following information when they call to activate the card: 1) Card Number (located on the back of the Ventra U-PASS card) 2) Student ID (located on the side of your picture – use first five digits).

Adler University is contractually obligated to assess fees to all eligible, full-time students in order to participate in the CTA program.

Adler University is contractually obligated to assess fees to all eligible, full-time students in order to participate in the CTA program.