MBTA and Tufts University Partner on New University Pass Pilot, Benefitting Hundreds of Students This Fall with Access to Transit

Undergraduates at SMFA at Tufts will have unlimited access to subway and local bus with trips fully funded by the university for the duration of the University Pass pilot program.

The MBTA and Tufts University (Tufts) today announced a partnership beginning with the fall 2024 semester to provide undergraduates at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University (SMFA) with unlimited local subway and bus passes through the new University Pass pilot program. Tufts is the first college or university to partner with the MBTA on this unique fare transit benefit for its students.

“We are pleased to collaborate with Tufts University on the University Pass, and are grateful for their support in fully funding subway and local bus trips for hundreds of SMFA undergraduates this fall,” said MBTA General Manager and CEO Phillip Eng. “Increasing easy access to public transit means better access to classes, internships, and recreational opportunities; it is freedom to opportunity and we hope SMFA at Tufts students take full advantage of the T, making it part of their daily routine. It is partnerships like this pilot program with Tufts that set the example for all to follow as we seek to encourage a more environmentally friendly means of travel, reducing roadway congestion and carbon emissions.”

“Our students need flexibility when choosing how and when to travel between our Medford/Somerville campus and SMFA at Tufts in Boston,” said Barb Stein, the university’s vice president for operations. “The MBTA’s Green Line is uniquely positioned to provide direct service between Medford and SMFA at Tufts at a frequency that private shuttle service just can’t match. With the University Pass, students can feel confident in the knowledge that both the MBTA and our Tufts’ shuttle service are at their disposal when choosing how to travel.”

During the two-year pilot, undergraduates at SMFA at Tufts will have unlimited access to subway and local bus services with their trips fully funded by Tufts. Participating students will be automatically enrolled and will receive their University Passes on a CharlieCard.

Similar to the MBTA’s Pay Per Use (PPU) program for employers, the University Pass pilot with Tufts is a usage-based fare program designed specifically as a travel benefit that universities can offer their students each semester. The University Pass is divided into two one-year terms with the first year’s fare prices based on estimated student ridership data and the second year’s fare prices determined through ridership data that the MBTA will collect during the first year. With usage-based pricing through the University Pass, Tufts will pay a flat monthly rate to provide students with flexible access to the MBTA. Following the two-year pilot term, the MBTA will evaluate options to potentially expand the pilot further.

The University Pass is separate from the MBTA’s Semester Pass in which colleges and universities offer an 11% fare discount to their students through the program. More than 40 colleges and universities in Greater Boston offer Semester Passes for students with more information available at mbta.com. Young people between 18 and 25 years old with low income may also continue to apply for the MBTA’s Youth Pass, which offers roughly 50% off fares to eligible riders. The program is a partnership between the T and participating cities and towns with more information available at mbta.com/YouthPass. For more information on all MBTA fare products, including institutional fare programs like Perq for Work and the PPU program, visit mbta.com/Fares.

Administrators of any Boston-area college or university are invited to apply to participate in the University Pass pilot program. Once accepted into the pilot program, colleges and universities may propose a cohort of students to enroll in the program based on a variety of criteria including students’ enrollment status, degree or credential type, class year, and/or campus/dorm location. After being accepted, schools must also provide the MBTA with the total enrolled students, number of eligible student cohorts, number of students in eligible cohorts, number of non-eligible students, and number of excluded students. Interested colleges and universities may email pkelsey@mbta.com for more information about the pilot program.