License to Park or License to Hunt: What Are Students Really Getting for Their Parking Pass?

With more student drivers on the campus of Winston-Salem State University, parking demand and frustration continue to rise. Students are asking whether campus parking passes are truly worth the cost.

The annual parking pass for all WSSU students costs $120. Before COVID-19, the price was $160, but the university reduced the fee during the pandemic. According to Marcus Bryant, WSSU’s director of parking and transportation, the cost includes both parking access and shuttle service that takes students from campus lots to their classes, and the revenue also contributes to university needs depending on the institution's budget.

Compared to nearby universities, where permits range from $ 60 to $ 590 per year, WSSU sits on the lower end of the scale, as provided by Bryant himself and confirmed by the various universities' websites. Bryant says he can recommend price changes to his supervisor, but an increase must be approved by the Board of Trustees, which he believes is unlikely. The board, he says, is cautious about raising costs for students. “The Board of Trustees loves y’all, Bryant says.”

Taylor Dainel, a junior nursing student, commutes to campus four days a week from Deacon Station. What should be a 20-minute trip often becomes a 40-minute one because she has to leave early to secure convenient parking.  As a commuter, the costs add up, with gas at $35 to $40 a week plus the $120 parking pass, all to attend class. She says the shuttle helps when she has to park farther away, but it isn’t always reliable. “I like how the staff parking is convenient to their building; I wish the same was the case for students, “Daniel says.

Quincy Constant, Student Government Association Vice President, shares how student parking concerns move across campus. Parking does not stand alone within its own committee and instead falls under the broader “student concern” category with Campus Life, where issues are gathered by SGA before being moved up. SGA President Ramiya Summers is the only student with a seat on the Board of Trustees, which approves or denies suggestions for parking prices and policies, as mentioned by Marcus Bryant.  Constant notes that change starts with collaborating with the new associate provost and vice chancellor for student affairs, Dr. Bomani Spells, who can raise their issues to higher levels. Like Madison Kelley, Constant says Town Halls are important to bring concerns to the SGA cabinet, where they go to the President, then the board of trustees. However, Constant’s own approach is more personal: “I go to the cafe where students are and ask for their raw opinion.” He also comments that SGA is pushing for a formal grace period and working with campus communications to address unreliable shuttle schedules.