Parking at UT continues to be a conversation-sparker around the lunch table.
During the summer, students are still responsible for obtaining a summer permit if they wish to park on campus. The cost of the permit is $50 if they are a commuter and their class is before 3 p.m., and $11 if it’s after 3 p.m. Some students say they are willing to take the gamble against UT Parking and Transit Services when commuting.
Savannah McDaniel, senior in nursing, said she was willing to take the risk of getting a ticket by not buying a parking pass.
“I did not buy a parking pass because my class is only one month long,” she said. “I didn’t like the idea of paying $50 if I didn’t have to.”
However, halfway through the semester, McDaniel found out that since she had a class later than 3 p.m., she could have bought one for $11.
McDaniel said she sometimes tries to skirt the system by either having people bring her to class or parking in a meter spot.
“I think $50 is too much for a summer pass if you are only taking one class and it is only one month long,” she said. “I think that $50 is reasonable if you are taking full-time summer classes.”
Unlike McDaniel, Keslee Faulkner, also a senior in nursing, did buy a parking pass for the summer.
Faulkner paid $11 for her pass since her class doesn’t start until 3:30 p.m., because it makes things easier for her.
“I bought a parking pass because I have one class this summer on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and it is easier to just buy a pass and get parked than it is to drive around looking for a parallel parking spot,” she said.
Faulkner and McDaniel both agree that the current system is a little pricy for what students are paying for.
“I think since most people only go to summer school one session or the other it should be $25 per session or $50 for the whole summer,” Faulkner said.
Summer passes aren’t the only item some students think are pricy. According to a statement released by Vice Chancellor of Finance and Administration Chris Cimino earlier this month, starting on July 1 residents, faculty and staff will all pay more for their respective permits than they did last year.
Resident students will pay $285 for parking during the academic year, an increase of $32; and commuter students will pay $182 for the academic year, an increase of $20, according to the statement.
