U-PASS Important Dates & Waiting Periods
IMPORTANT!
The U-Pass OPT-status RESETS BY DEFAULT at the start of each FALL SEMESTER. Students need to set their status to OPT-IN at least once per school year if they intend to participate.
It's important to note that setting a status of OPT-IN AFTER the OPT-OUT deadline means you will remain OPT-IN for the duration of the semester. It cannot be changed to OPT-OUT AFTER the OPT-OUT deadline.
Spring 2026
The deadline to OPT-OUT for the Spring 2026 U-PASS is February 01, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. CST.
Spring enrollment for U-PASS/U-PASS+ opens December 01, 2025 - https://go.uic.edu/spring_upass
-> CoM and DENT students should enroll for U-Pass prior to December 18 and be fully registered for 6+ credit hours to ensure the benefit activates on time. <-
Spring activation of U-PASS/U-PASS+ occurs on January 07, 2026 (Medicine/Dentistry begin December 31)
Spring de-activation of U-PASS/U-PASS+ occurs on May 13, 2026 (Medicine/Dentistry ends April 29)
Spring OPT-OUT deadline will be February 01, 2026 at 11:59p
Spring OPT-IN deadline will be February 12, 2026 at 11:59p (It's important to note that setting a status of OPT-IN AFTER the OPT-OUT deadline means you will remain OPT-IN for the duration of the semester. It cannot be changed to OPT-OUT AFTER the OPT-OUT deadline.)
The cost is $163 for U-PASS and $380 for U-PASS+ (the cost for Medicine is $175/$399, respectively)
Distribution of new Ventra U-Pass cards will occur in the SCE ID Center, 124 SCE
Fall 2025
The deadline to OPT-OUT for the Fall 2025 U-PASS is September 10, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. CST.
Fall enrollment for U-PASS/U-PASS+ opens July 14, 2025 - https://go.uic.edu/fall_upass
Fall activation of U-PASS/U-PASS+ occurs on August 20, 2025 (Medicine begins August 13)
Fall de-activation of U-PASS/U-PASS+ occurs on December 17, 2025 (Medicine ends December 24)
Fall OPT-OUT deadline will be September 10, 2025 at 11:59p
Fall OPT-IN deadline will be September 28, 2025 at 11:59p (It's important to note that setting a status of OPT-IN AFTER the OPT-OUT deadline means you will remain OPT-IN for the duration of the semester. It cannot be changed to OPT-OUT AFTER the OPT-OUT deadline.)
The cost is $163 for U-PASS and $380 for U-PASS+ (the cost for Medicine is $175/$399, respectively)
Distribution of new Ventra U-Pass cards will occur August 20, 21, 22, 25, 26, and 27 in the space below the SCE bowling alley, between 830a and 5p. (After August 27 the process shifts back up to the SCE ID Center, 124 SCE.)
Summer 2025
The deadline to OPT-OUT for the Summer 2025 U-PASS is June 11, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. CST.
Summer enrollment for U-PASS/U-PASS+ opens April 13, 2025 - https://go.uic.edu/summer_upass
Summer activation of U-PASS/U-PASS+ occurs on May 14, 2025 (Medicine begins April 23)
Summer de-activation of U-PASS/U-PASS+ occurs on August 13, 2025 (including Medicine)
Summer OPT-OUT deadline will be June 11, 2025 at 11:59p
Summer OPT-IN deadline will be June 30, 2025 at 11:59p (It's important to note that setting a status of OPT-IN AFTER the OPT-OUT deadline means you will remain OPT-IN for the duration of the semester. It cannot be changed to OPT-OUT AFTER the OPT-OUT deadline.)
The cost is $125 for U-PASS and $300 for U-PASS+ (the cost for Medicine is $130/$330, respectively)
*Fall: U-Pass distribution for NEW students will occur below the SCE bowling alley the Wednesday prior to the start of the fall semester.
*Spring/Summer: U-Pass distribution for NEW students will occur in the SCE ID Center.
*UIC Law and College of Medicine may have alternate pick up locations. Students in those colleges should check with their college for details.
*Students in the College of Dentistry, College of Medicine, and the Corporate MBA program may have start and end dates that differ from those listed above.
Becoming Eligible
Returning students with a non-expired Ventra U-PASS who register or opt-in after the start of the semester or make changes their Opt-status on our web application will see an activation delay of 1-3 business days. This delay may be extended by university or CTA closures, specifically prior to the Spring and Fall semester.
New students (including transfer students) who register or opt-in after the start of the semester may see a 6-8 business day delay in production and delivery of their U-PASS to the ID Center.
For students with existing U-PASS cards, the standard policies on lost/replacement cards will still be enforced.
SET OPT-STATUS
Helpful Information
- Before starting the U-PASS or U-PASS+ process, a valid iCard photo needs to be on file with the UIC ID Center
- Users need to OPT-IN to the U-PASS or U-PASS+ benefit: go.uic.edu/fall_upass
- Users need to have created a Ventra account.
- Users need to have signed into the Ventra app.
- After obtaining the U-PASS card from UIC, the card needs to be enrolled into the Ventra app.
Determining if your U-PASS is Active
To determine if your U-PASS is active, visit ventrachicago.com/balance. After entering your card’s serial number and expiration date, you can check that 1) your card has a balance of $0.00 or greater and 2) under the ‘Passes’ section, the U-PASS is listed.