Your student I.D. card must be surrendered when you completely withdraw from a session.

What is a session?

I think it meets when you leave mac it must be given back. So if you withdraw from the university, you have to give the student card back.

Originally Posted by Stan

I think it meets when you leave mac it must be given back. So if you withdraw from the university, you have to give the student card back.

Are there gravedigging rules at MacInsiders? Oh well. Old thread. I'm giving an answer.


If you fully drop out of McMaster, you do have to give your student card back. If you have no plans to ever return to Mac, this is the case.

However, if you take a year off, you get to keep your student card. Or at least I did.

I started in first year Engineering in September of 2008, I had to "drop out" for the year, and I'm coming back in September of 2009. I've carried my student card in my wallet the whole year.

I guess it's worth asking; Would they really try to hunt you down if you refused to give it to them?

I can't possibly see them caring about the card... What is the most you can do? take the HSR for free? Do you even get your supplementary fees back when you drop out?

You can't take the HSR for free though. The drivers know which stickers are valid and which are not...so if you're using a sticker from the previous year they will yell at you and force you off the bus.

I've seen it happen.

My mom did a degree part time at Mac about 10 years ago, and she still has her student card...

Originally Posted by lorend

You can't take the HSR for free though. The drivers know which stickers are valid and which are not...so if you're using a sticker from the previous year they will yell at you and force you off the bus.

I've seen it happen.

But I mean the year you drop out... like if you drop out of school in the middle of a term.

If you drop out in the middle of a term (ie. 'completely withdraw from a session'), you've paid for your bus pass and should be entitled to use it (if McMaster or the HSR claims otherwise, then they're being crooks). On the other hand, Mac may insist on reclaiming your student card so you do not charge purchases to your bookstore account. Mac has no way of 'getting you back' for purchases if they have no leverage!

Here is the scenario: I just started Engineering I...I'm overwhelmed, so I decide to quit, change professions and become, I dunno, an auto-mechanic. I will never return to Mac again...so what do I do? I go and charge $1500 worth of McMaster merchandise to my student account, and split. Mac can't threaten to expel you, or withhold your grades / diploma. (They can most likely take legal action however...but that's costly to them)



I know someone who was unable to continue at Mac after their first year...they were allowed to keep their card.

I also know of people who successfully completed their degrees and kept their cards.


If you leave mid-semester then this is a problem, for the reason mentioned above. If you want to keep your card, you can always claim you lost it, pay a $30 fine to 'replace' it, and have it deactivated so Mac can rest easy knowing you cannot make bookstore purchases.

Originally Posted by lorend

You can't take the HSR for free though. The drivers know which stickers are valid and which are not...so if you're using a sticker from the previous year they will yell at you and force you off the bus.

I've seen it happen.

Oh man, there was this really mean old hag, excuse my language, of a bus driver on the 51 a few months ago. Man, she kicked people off the bus, held up the bus if anything seemed suspicious and it was annoying because it was always a ton of people waiting - and it was winter. Ugh.

I know that lady! I dunno if she was specifically always on the 51...perhaps it was the time of day you went to Mac. I think I saw her on the King 1A.

She made you move the student card right to her face, because she didn't want to turn her head to look for herself.

Originally Posted by Mowicz

I go and charge $1500 worth of McMaster merchandise to my student account, and split. Mac can't threaten to expel you, or withhold your grades / diploma. (They can most likely take legal action however...but that's costly to them)

Never thought about that... I'm sure they can do something to get back the money... repo?

Originally Posted by Mowicz

I know that lady! I dunno if she was specifically always on the 51...perhaps it was the time of day you went to Mac. I think I saw her on the King 1A.

She made you move the student card right to her face, because she didn't want to turn her head to look for herself.

lol this is rather wierd, most of the bus drivers let us kids of easily. Like I've always sorted of traveled on expired transfer tickets. I just sort of hold them half hidden in my palm when going up to the driver and he hardly even glances it. Only once did a driver take a close look at it and thankfully I was on the last 15 minutes!

Originally Posted by jhan523

Never thought about that... I'm sure they can do something to get back the money... repo?

There probably is...but it's certainly more hassling than demanding you return your card. It's more meant as a precaution.

Originally Posted by Mowicz

I know that lady! I dunno if she was specifically always on the 51...perhaps it was the time of day you went to Mac. I think I saw her on the King 1A.

She made you move the student card right to her face, because she didn't want to turn her head to look for herself.

LOL! Oh gosh. I'm so glad I haven't seen her in several months now.

And Huzaifa, yeah, most drivers really don't care, that's why that one was a pain in the ass. Just beware... haha.

Hmm, I don't see why you can't keep your card though, I mean, the sticker for the facilities including HSR change every year, and I'm guessing they make your barcode invalid too if you're not a student anymore. Who knows, maybe that's too difficult or something.