Update, April 14, 4:00 p.m.:
On April 13, Mt. SAC’s administrative services sent out an email to students regarding options for future use of the spring 2020 parking permit. Students who intend on attending the summer and fall 2020 semesters will be able to continue using the spring permit, but students who do not plan on attending classes after this semester can receive reimbursements.
Students who do not plan on attending in the Fall or Spring may receive a refund by emailing their A-numbers on their IDs, name, permit number, phone number and mailing address, as well as a photo of their spring 2020 permit cut into four pieces to [email protected] before June 14, 2020. The permit number must still be visible.
Once verified, students will receive a confirmation email from the school. As stated on the email, the estimated processing time is two weeks depending on volume of the request. Any additional questions may be sent to the email above.
Update, March 26, 9:10 p.m.:
An alert sent from Mt. SAC contained a message from the college’s president, William Scroggins, and outlined updates on several issues. Of those updates, one that was addressed was parking permits. According to the alert, all parking permits purchased for the spring 2020 semester will be extended through summer and fall 2020. If students do not plan to continue attending Mt. SAC next semester, they can petition for reimbursement by contacting parking services starting April 3.
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Following the campus’ closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Mt. SAC has not announced any decisions to issue full or partial refunds for parking permits that were purchased for the spring 2020 semester. Students have in turn elected to start petitioning once more in an attempt to convince the college to make a change.
A petition was opened by Francis Geng on March 24. It cites schools that are accepting refunds for parking permits such as Cal State LA and Cal State Dominguez Hills.
In its description, the petition states that the money that students pay for the parking permit they are no longer using could mean the difference in buying a textbook, paying for a laptop or a week of groceries. Geng also cited the financial struggles of students and families that have resulted from the pandemic.
“This is a extremely difficult time for many students and their families because their paychecks have been cut down or even suspended due to the virus,” Geng stated in the petition.
According to Mt. SAC’s facts and figures, 75% of the college’s students receive financial aid. Parking permits for a semester cost $25 for those who have received the California College Promise Grant, and $50 for those who have not.
Geng hopes that the petition leads to either full refunds of the permit, or that its usage is extended until the next full semester, fall 2020. The petition has over 250 signatures so far as of Wednesday afternoon.
Mt. SAC business administration major Christopher Salazar, 19, signed the petition and felt as though the school should send out full refunds to students who paid for a spring 2020 parking permit.
“What benefit does it give us students who commute when we can’t leave our homes and use the school resources available to us?” Salazar said. “I think they should give us a refund because students are not on campus and many struggled to pay the [fee].”