Summer HSR Passes - MacInsiders - Student-run McMaster University Help Forum

**lorend**

Student Summer DISCOUNTED HSR Passes

Discounted summer passes for the HSR will be available at Compass as of April 24th for $252.00 (20% savings!!).

Please check out this article from the MSU. You can also check out the Compass Local Transit webpage for more information.

In addition, this pass can be applied to the governmental tax grants, where so long as you keep your receipts and the physical pass you will be reimbursed for 15.25% of the cost. See more info here.

feonateresa · 04-22-2009 at 01:37 PM

O_O

Omg, so, even if you're not taking summer courses you can buy the pass, so long as you show your student card?

micadjems · 04-22-2009 at 02:25 PM

Still pretty lame. Don't we pay under 100 for the rest of the year?

ferreinm · 04-22-2009 at 02:36 PM

Question about the GoBus passes since that applies to me more: If we buy it from Square One rather than Mac do we still get the same student discount or do we need to buy it from Compass?

nh999 · 04-22-2009 at 03:03 PM

I think the student discount still applies no matter where you buy it. You just have to show your student card and that GO transit discount card (the one that you have to apply thru MUGSI to get) which doesn't expire until Aug for every school year.

**lorend** · 04-22-2009 at 03:24 PM

Yes, technically as long as you were a full-time student in 2008-2009 you can still use the pass this summer. However, as mentioned you can only purchase it at Compass, as that is what the HSR is dictating.

The cost for the U-Pass was 94.80 this year and will be $102.70 for 2009-2010 and will continue to increase. It was $71.50 for 2007-2008 in comparison. You can read more about the fare changes here.

For GO, you can purchase a student ticket (for 10 ride or monthly passes) without the GO Student ID at any location. However, if you do not have a GO ID/do not have the ID on your person and you are asked for one you can face a fine.

The price ($252.00) is the equivalent to four elementary/secondary monthly passes. The reason we get the pass for such a discounted rate during the year is approximately 15 000 are charged for them. So even if all of the students don't use them, or use them often the HSR still makes money.

temara.brown · 04-22-2009 at 05:42 PM

I love this! I had to buy the monthly passes last summer so this is a good change.. convenient too.

feonateresa · 04-22-2009 at 06:06 PM

It's pretty sweet though, I mean, if I went back to Toronto for the summer, I'd be paying a total of 436 dollars for the four months -- no discounts there. Very worth it. My friends there don't even get discounted passes from their college/university, so they're paying over a hundred dollars a month. We're lucky.

fullsmash26 · 04-22-2009 at 09:47 PM

It's a deal, but not a great deal. Unless you are taking the HSR at least eight times a week; you are better off to use bus tickets. It is only after eight trips a week that you are actually saving money on this pass.

In terms of where this is coming from; City Council was approached by a group of organized Mohawk students who are pushing for a UPass at the college. The return of the "Semester Pass" is the outcome of this. City Council approved the "Semester Pass" for McMaster students in the summer (regardless of registration status) and a limited pass program at Mohawk.

DannyV · 04-23-2009 at 09:12 AM

I doubt you will be reimbursed anything.

As with most tax credits, it is just taken off your taxable income thereby reducing it. Most students probably make less than the "Basic Personal Amount" so this doesn't affect them at all.

Ian Finlay · 04-25-2009 at 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DannyV

I doubt you will be reimbursed anything.

As with most tax credits, it is just taken off your taxable income thereby reducing it. Most students probably make less than the "Basic Personal Amount" so this doesn't affect them at all.

But you can carry it forward until you do graduate and earn enough for it to help you out.

DannyV · 04-25-2009 at 03:47 PM

Yup, but I believe it's a bit deceptive to tell students they will be reimbursed. Kinda like saying "here's a $200 rebate, oh by the way it's store credit only."

HeatherH · 04-26-2009 at 10:18 PM

It's a decent deal, but it's not a great one. Like Joey said, you would need to use it at least eight times a week for it to be worth it.

A monthly HSR bus pass is $79. That's $316 for the summer.
You save $64 if you buy this HSR Summer Student Pass, so it's a decent deal. Definately not as good as the deal we get on our pass for September to April though.