After Winter Break, ASUPS will be implementing a new price change of van rentals on campus. These new prices will affect students, faculty, and clubs that want to rent vans for general use and specific events.
Vans previously cost $20 per day to rent, and now the price has changed to $40 for a day and $20 for a half day for all students. For non-students the prices have gone from $40 per day to $50.
“We were spending twice as much as we were making. So, basically the increase is so that we break even,” Taylor Smith, ASUPS Director of Business Services said.
Prices have been the same for van rentals for over ten years. ASUPS recognizes that the current budget does not support the loss of money from renting out these vans at such a low cost that has been the same for years.
“Those prices haven’t been revised since 2003,” Smith said. “Costs have only gone up for us the past eleven years, and so it’s kind of just about time on that front to raise those prices for the vans.”
The price to rent one of the ASUPS minivans still competes with the average price to rent a van from rental car companies, which is about $55 per day.
With ASUPS remaining under the price of competing car rental agencies, students and faculty can still feasibly rent vehicles for their activities, just at a higher price. Without the price change, student fees are not used efficiently, with a large cost to ASUPS.
“At this point we’re losing thousands of dollars every year on those vans,” Smith said. “And that’s not being responsible with people’s money if we’re losing money on a service.”
The possibility of ASUPS gaining a new minivan led to the change in prices. If there is still a consistent demand for vans, ASUPS could consider adding a new addition to further benefit students.
“Before we even think about getting another van, it needs to be fiscally viable to have two vans, which right now it’s not,” Smith said. “And so, we need to revise this, and make us basically break even on the vans. And then next year, or the year after, if Administration still sees the huge need for a van then they can go forward and buy a new van.”
While the increased price affects students and professors financially, it could benefit Puget Sound in the long run.
“I more see it as a benefit to the students because if the demand is still super high, even with the increased prices, then there’s that much more reasoning to get a third van,” Smith said. “Which would then benefit students even more, and have more availability of vans.”
These changes that will start Spring semester not only benefit current students, faculty, and clubs, but also benefits the future ASUPS team financially.
“Where do we want to leave the next Administration? We want to leave them in a good financial spot,” Smith said.
To rent an ASUPS minivan for a day or half day, visit the ASUPS office in Wheelock 210 to sign up in advance.
