aCCess Benefit Program

 

Program Description

Columbia College supports sustainable transportation choices and transit accessibility for our campus community. The aCCess program offsets the cost of public transportation by providing College students with $111.60 (equivalent value of a 1-month, 1-zone transit pass) per semester. 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 (transit card).  

To learn more about active and sustainable transportation in Vancouver, visit Walk, bike, roll, transit: Getting around the Vancouver way.  

For information on purchasing and registering a Compass Card, Metro Vancouver’s 3-zone public transit system, and discounted fares for riders 18 and younger, please see Frequently Asked Questions or visit the Translink website. 

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.  Please visit the student services office to register your compass card.

New Students 

Eligible new students can sign-up to obtain the aCCess Benefit beginning at orientation (in-person) in their first semester.

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.

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