Note: Any registrations from WINTER 2025 will NOT be transferred. Students must sign-up again in-person for SUMMER 2025
Program Description
As a registered charity, Columbia College is continually seeking new ways to support international students and support their access to higher education. While the College cannot support the full cost of transit passes for all students throughout their studies, this program is intended to partially offset the cost of a monthly Compass Pass and provide stored value for students to access public transit in Metro Vancouver.
The aCCess Program will provide College students with $107.30 (equivalent value to a 1 month pass) once every semester as stored value credit in Compass Cards issued by TransLink. This value can be applied towards a Monthly Pass or used to pay for transit in Metro Vancouver. All students aged 19 and above are eligible to have the aCCess benefit added to their existing Compass Card. This program is for Adult Compass Cards (for ages 19 and above).
Eligibility
- Students eligible for a Concession Compass Card (ages 13 – 18) are NOT eligible for the aCCess Benefit Program.
- Students must be enrolled in at least one course at the College.
- Each student is only eligible to receive the benefit once per semester while they study at Columbia College.
How to Sign-up?
Continuing Students
All eligible continuing students must provide their updated Compass Card details in- person on campus by the deadline. The deadline to sign-up to receive the aCCess Benefit for Summer 2025 is May 17, 2025. Please visit the student services office to register your compass card.
May 12 to May 17 from 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM.
Location: Student Services Office
NOTE: Any registrations from WINTER 2025 will NOT be transferred. Students must sign-up again in-person.
New Students
Eligible new students can sign-up to obtain the aCCess Benefit beginning at orientation (in-person) in their first semester. The deadline to sign-up to receive the aCCess Benefit for Summer 2025 is May 17, 2025.
Make sure to bring a valid compass card to your orientation. Compass Cards are widely available for a $6 refundable deposit. Compass Cards are available for purchase at Compass Retailers, SkyTrain stations, SeaBus terminals, and select Vancouver London Drugs stores. Find your nearest retailer, here.
Lost Cards
If your registered Compass Card is lost or stolen, contact Compass Customer Service to transfer the products to a new Compass Card. If your Card is unregistered, the fare products on it cannot be recovered.
Important! Once you purchase a new compass Card, update your record with Columbia College so the aCCess Benefit is transferred to the new Card. You can do so by sending us an email at access@columbiacollege.ca before 5:00 PM, May 19, 2025.
Continuing Students who turn 19 during the semester
- Students using Concession Cards can make a request to enroll in the aCCess Benefit once they turn 19.
- Please email access@columbiacollege.ca once you turn 19 to request your benefit for the current semester.
Disclaimer
This program is an added discretionary benefit to College students and is only available subject to available funding. The College may terminate the program at any time, and may review, update or change these guidelines at any time at its sole discretion. Students benefitting from the program agree to abide by the Compass Card Terms and Conditions of Use provided by Translink.
If you miss the benefit enrollment deadline, you will not receive the benefit allocation for that semester. The College will not be liable for incorrect Compass Card numbers provided to TransLink for program participation, or for any failure to provide the Card or loaded value to College students for any reason whatsoever.
Contact us
For any questions or assistance regarding the Columbia College aCCess Benefit Program, you can email: access@columbiacollege.ca
aCCess Benefit Program FAQ
The aCCess Benefit Program is designed to provide Columbia College students aged 19 and above with a semesterly transit benefit. Students enrolled in this program will receive $107.30 once every semester as stored value credit loaded onto their Compass Card, which can be used for travel on transit in Metro Vancouver. This credit can also be converted into a monthly pass by calling Compass Customer Service at (604) 398-2042 (Monday to Sunday, 6:30am to 11:30pm).
All students aged 19 and above, who are enrolled in at least one or more courses at Columbia College are eligible for the Columbia College aCCess Benefit Program.
To enroll in the aCCess Benefit Program, you need to sign-up in person by visiting a sign-up booth on campus.
The deadline to sign-up to receive the aCCess Benefit for Summer 2025 is May 17, 2025.
If you qualify for Concession fares (ages 13-18), you will use the Orange Compass Card and be charged the appropriate Concession fare rate directly by TransLink. Email acess@columbiacollege.ca when you turn 19 to enroll in the aCCess Benefit.
Concession cards are eligible for youth 14 to 18 years with valid photo identification proving age and are available for purchase at Compass Retailers, Waterfront Customer Service Centre, and select Vancouver London Drugs stores. Find your nearest retailer, here.
Compass Cards are widely available for a $6 refundable deposit. Compass Cards are available for purchase at Compass Retailers, SkyTrain stations, SeaBus terminals, and select Vancouver London Drugs stores. Find your nearest retailer, here.
Registering your Compass Card is important as it allows you to cancel the Card and transfer the balance if it’s lost or stolen. To register your Card, visit https://www.compasscard.ca or call Compass Customer Service at (604) 398-2042 (Monday to Sunday, 6:30am to 11:30pm).
NOTE:
Registering your Card with TransLink does not automatically enroll you for the aCCess Benefit. Sign-up for the aCCess Benefit in-person on Campus to enroll yourself in this program.
The aCCess Benefit will be provided to you as stored value credit on your Compass Card. To change this stored value into a monthly pass, please contact Compass Customer Service at (604) 398-2042 (Monday to Sunday, 6:30 am and 11:30 pm). If you intend to purchase a two-zone or three-zone monthly pass, you’ll need to manually add extra value to your Compass Card.
If your registered Compass Card is lost or stolen, contact Compass Customer Service to transfer the products to a new Compass Card. If your Card is unregistered, the fare products on it cannot be recovered.
Important! Once you purchase a new compass Card, update your record with Columbia College so the aCCess Benefit is transferred to the new Card. You can do so by sending us an email at access@columbiacollege.ca
If you miss the deadline to enroll for the benefit, you will not receive the benefit allocation for that semester. It’s recommended to make changes before the deadline to ensure you receive the intended benefits on time.
Remember, adhering to the deadline helps ensure accurate benefit allocation, preventing any inconvenience or delay in receiving your monthly benefits.
College will not be liable for incorrect Compass Card numbers provided to TransLink for program participation, or for any failure to provide the Card or loaded value to College students for any reason whatsoever.
If you turn 19 after May 17, 2025, please email access@columbiacollege.ca to enroll in the aCCess Benefit Program.
If you lost your compass card, email access@columbiacollege.ca to provide new card details before May 19, 2025 5:00 PM. Failure to do so means you will not receive the aCCess benefit.
No. Any changes cannot be made after May 19.
Students are not eligible for a refund on the aCCess Benefit provided by the College. If any additional amount was loaded onto the compass Card by a student, it can be refunded back to the original payment method. Please reach out to TransLink for support, https://www.compasscard.ca or call Compass Customer Service at (604) 398-2042 (Monday to Sunday, 6:30am to 11:30pm).
