About the U-Pass

What is the U-Pass?

The U-Pass is a Universal Transit Pass which provides unlimited access to Winnipeg Transit transportation services in exchange for a mandatory fee. It is a program offered by the City of Winnipeg, facilitated by UMSU – as well as the University of Winnipeg Students’ Association for students at the UofW – in which all full-time students within the Winnipeg Transit service area pay a subsidized bus pass fee and have unlimited access to transit from September to April the following year. UMSU members voted in a referendum in Fall 2014 to approve a mandatory U-Pass for all full-time students. City Council officially approved the implementation of the U-Pass in March 2015. The U-Pass program officially launched in Winnipeg in September 2016. The first contract expired at the end of the 2019/2020 academic year. After a referendum, UMSU’s Board of Directors officially voted to save the U-Pass program, and will continue to operate.

To read about the 2020 referendum click here, and to see the poll results click here.

*Note: The Fall Term U-Pass is valid September 1 – December 31. The Winter Term U-Pass is valid January 1 – April 30. Currently, there is no Spring/Summer U-Pass.

How much is it and where do I get a U-Pass?

The U-Pass is Term-based, there is a Fall U-Pass and a Winter U-Pass, at the current rate of $215.60 per term. This is applied directly to the accounts of undergraduate students enrolled in a minimum of nine credit hours in a term, and is payable along with tuition. To see whether you are eligible for the U-Pass, check your Aurora account summary by term and look at the detailed cost breakdown for the Term to see the U-Pass fee; if it is there, you can pick up your U-Pass.

You can visit us at the UMSU Service Centre or Answers Bannatyne during our business hours to pick up your U-Pass. Please bring your student ID with you.

Additional Information

You can use your U-Pass to ride Winnipeg Transit buses for the entirety of the Term in which you are eligible, without additional fares. Note: Your Student ID with the U-Pass sticker is required, along with the U-Pass when boarding a Transit bus to utilize the U-Pass.  If the appropriate Student ID is not presented, students risk confiscation of their U-Pass.

Students are not to sell, barter or give away their U-Pass, as the penalty could be confiscation of the U-Pass and possible fines.

Note: Post-Secondary Monthly Transit passes and other Winnipeg Transit fare products will continue to be sold at both the UMSU Service Centre & Answers Bannatyne. If you are experiencing issues purchasing a Post-Secondary Peggo card from the UMSU Service Centre, please check with the Registrar’s Office to confirm your eligibility, as students must be registered in order to receive the student rate.