By By: Ashley Rose
Photographer/Staff Writer
As students made their way back on campus they were met with a variety of fun events and surprises: free Titan shirts, a color splash run, cookouts, and most importantly, free parking passes.
Previously costing over $150 for the school year, students were informed at the beginning of the semester that parking passes would be completely free for students during the 2022-2023 school year.
Parking services operator Laura Ping is a big fan of this opportunity.
“I think this is a wonderful thing for the students. I do not work in the budgeting end of this department, so I don’t know how this impacts that, however I think it’s very beneficial,” Ping said.
Ping found out on August 15th, only one week before the semester began, that the passes would be free for students and half price for employees.
Offering free parking passes to students was IU South Bend’s way of attempting to accommodate the high inflation that has impacted the cost of living.
Ping also noted that because passes are free of cost, there has been a major influx of students coming in to get a pass in comparison to past years.
While parking passes are a necessity to park on campus, it has not always been the most affordable purchase for students. Offering passes for free has encouraged more students to follow the protocol. A great number of campus employees have reportedly purchased their half-price passes for the school year as well.
