There are two things that I hate: people who think Taylor Swift is overrated and student parking at UTEP. After an incident which resulted in me getting two parking tickets because I did not have a permit to park at school, filled with anger and disappointment, I realized “I hated student parking at UTEP.”   

It is no secret student parking at UTEP is an issue and overpriced for its students and staff, which is something UTEP students have raised concerns about over the past few years. Students like myself who do not have a permit must find another way to park or get dropped off, which is quite limited.   

There are only two drop-off locations to my knowledge, one near memorial gym and Mike Loya, as someone who would occasionally get dropped off from time to time in those two locations, it was still an inconvenience to walk to class as they were the only drop-off locations.   

I know some people will say “Why don’t you just buy a permit to avoid these problems?”   

As easy that may be, some students do not have the financial means to buy parking, costs for a UTEP permit can go up to $400 added to paying school tuition, it can be too much. 

I am fortunate and privileged enough to afford a parking permit. However, I have given UTEP so much money for those useless fees they make us pay. So, I opted out of paying for a parking permit because I did not want to pay UTEP more money than I had to.  

To find convenient parking at UTEP, you have to pay $400 annually to park at the Sun Bowl Parking garage, where space is limited. The cheapest parking students can purchase is $165 and those spots are near the Don Haskins Center and Student Recreation Center.   

Students who pay to park there have to either walk a long distance or take the shuttle bus to get to class, and in my opinion, it is not worth paying that much money when you are far away from campus and still have to walk. An additional problem is the lack of shuttle buses; each morning there are groups of students waiting for shuttles that aren’t packed causing many students to either be late for class or have to walk. 

While UTEP does have decent student parking near the Sun Bowl Stadium for a price of $225, which I think should be the standard maximum that we should pay, I cannot ignore the fact that UTEP Staff and Faculty have to pay a steeper price for parking.   

The most expensive parking permit for faculty members costs $930, while the cheapest parking permits are about $300 near the Don Haskins Center. Imagine asking professors and faculty members who have given so much to the University to pay this much for a parking permit is beyond me.  

UTEP’s parking system is flawed but I do wish they would add more spaces, drop-off locations, and lower parking prices if not even lower parking prices for faculty and staff, to accommodate them. 

I hope that UTEP will improve this situation considering how much they charge their students and staff. However, until then I will find another convenient way to park at UTEP without getting a ticket and maybe one day I will love student parking at UTEP. 

Erik Acosta is the web editor and may be reached at [email protected]