By Tristan Weisenbach
Managing Editor
The price of student parking decals increased for the 2024-25 academic year, the first increase in six years. All decal options, including those for residential students, commuter students and weekly parking permits, now cost more compared to previous years.
This is the first time the College raised parking decal prices since the 2018-19 academic year. Here is the breakdown of the previous and current fees:
Fall 2018 - Spring 2024:
Commuter Decals - Full Year: $105
Residential Decals - Full Year: $290
Commuter Decals - Half Year: $64
Residential Decal - Half Year: $160
Weekly Pass: $20
Fall 2024/Spring 2025:
Commuter Decals - Full Year: $150
Residential Decals - Full Year: $300
Commuter Decals - Half Year: $83
Residential Decal - Half Year: $165
Weekly Pass: $25
According to Luke Sacks, the College’s head media relations officer, the administration raised prices this year because of an increase in maintenance and operations costs for parking lots on campus.
Over the summer, the College completed repairs to the Eickhoff garage, installing an upgrade to the garage’s fire suppression system, according to an email from Dan Posluszny, emergency preparedness and fire safety manager. Additionally, the Forcina garage underwent “punch list repairs” over the summer as well, according to an email from Joseph Como, senior project manager.
The cost increase for commuter decals is disproportionately higher compared to the cost increase for residential decals. Sacks did not provide a reason for this, saying “we feel that the rates we settled on are equitable.”
According to Sacks, the College is not expecting there to be an increase in the number of commuter students this year compared to last year. Additionally, there will be no changes to the lots in which students have access to park or the total number of spots available for commuter and residential students to park in.
Michael Brown, a senior electrical engineering major, is a commuter student who started commuting last year. He said he did not notice the price increase for the parking decals this year, but hopes the additional money is being put toward improving the parking situation for students.
Gianna Melhorn, a freshman clinical and counseling psychology major, said she doesn’t have a car on campus but isn’t surprised at the price increase for parking decals.
“With the two weeks I’ve been on campus, everything is very expensive, from the books to food if you don’t have points, so I think an increase anywhere else is kind of ridiculous.”
It is unclear at this time what other additional maintenance will be completed at other parking lots or garages on campus.
