Cleveland State University has again discontinued the student discount public transit pass, with officials indicating the decision is permanent.

Students previously paid $57.50 per semester for the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority’s U-Pass. Without the university subsidy, students will now face a monthly $95 RTA pass that covers buses, the Rapid and bus-rapid transit routes — the transit modes covered by the U-Pass.

The first day of classes for fall semester is Monday, Aug. 24.

CSU spokesperson Kristin Broka said that the U-Pass agreement with RTA expired at the end of spring semester.

Financial reasons appear to be the motivation behind CSU ending the program.

CSU did not provide comments to cleveland.com | The Plain Dealer from President Laura Bloomberg about the cost savings, nor answer questions about how much each semester or year the university will save.

But Bloomberg told Ideastream Public Media that not all students used the U-Pass and those who did rode RTA in different ways. Bloomberg sits on Ideastream’s board.

“I think what’s more important to keep in mind is that some students use (public) transit once a week to come to one evening class,” she said. “Other students use transit multiple times a day. So even more than their own income level is the extent to which they need public transit, so that we’re not paying for something that students absolutely aren’t using on a regular basis.”

CSU officials put together “a plan to support students who use public transit without creating an ongoing expense for those students who do not,” Broka said.

CSU is offering funding for eligible students “who need financial assistance to help them remain in school, which includes funds for public transportation” she said. “We encourage students to contact their Academic Coach to learn more about their options, including community resources that are available to students.”

In July 2025, CSU tried to discontinue the U-Pass by announcing the partnership with RTA had ended. It blamed the legislature, citing a provision in the state budget bill from 2025.

However, other schools continued to participate in the U-Pass program. A spokesman for Gov. Mike DeWine called CSU’s interpretation of the provision a “ridiculous reading of the law.”

A week after that, CSU announced it would bring back the U-Pass for the 2025-2026 year. The school limited the U-Pass to full-time students and required students to opt-in and pay the pass cost each semester. Previously the U-Pass cost was embedded in the fees of all students.

A spokesman for RTA did not reply to questions from Cleveland.com | The Plain Dealer.

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