NYC College Students Would Get MTA Discount Under Proposed Law

Students at universities throughout the New York City area, and the nation, could soon receive a 25 percent discount (or more) on their public-transit fare.

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer (D-New York) — famed resident of Park Slope, Brooklyn — proposed legislation on Monday that would reward local subway and bus systems with Federal Transit Administration (FTA) money for giving college kids a discount.

Schumer is feeling very proud of his bill, which he has named the University Transit Rider Innovation Program (UTRIP).

“In today’s global marketplace there are few things more important than a college education, but that is getting more and more expensive all the time,” he stated upon proposing the program.

“Making that education a little more affordable for families and students via a well-targeted plan to defray high commuting costs,” he said, “makes all the sense in the world and is an investment that will pay huge dividends down the line for the students we help — and our whole economy.”

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The Park Slope senator announced at a press conference last week that 100 percent of the approximately 17,400 students who attend the City University of New York (CUNY)’s Brooklyn College commute to and from school using public transportation.

Under Schumer’s plan, the $1,300 many of those students currently pay for a string of unlimited 30-day MetroCards each year would go down to $975 — and maybe more, depending on how receptive MTA officials are to Schumer’s incentives.

Here’s how those incentives would work, according to Schumer’s office.

The UTRIP program is designed to help 2 year college students, 4 year college students and graduate students access educational programs and facilities by providing the support needed to transit agencies to off-set the additional costs of providing discounted student fares. In order for transit agencies to be eligible for the funding they must provide a discounted fare of at least 25% to two and four year college and graduate students. Transit agencies can then use UTRIP funds to help offset revenue losses incurred by providing the [discounts].

The federal bill is in its very early stages of consideration, so don’t hold your breath. But with some luck and congressional unity, maybe it’ll be a smidge cheaper for our grandkids’ grandkids to commute to CUNY.