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Go Pass FAQs

On this page:

• Pilot Go Pass Programs
• Eligibility
• Purchase
• Use

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Pilot Go Pass Programs

• What is a Caltrain Go Pass?

  The Go Pass allows unlimited travel on Caltrain between all zones and is valid for the calendar year (January through December). Caltrain is a rail service that runs between San Francisco and Gilroy.

• What are the Pilot Go Pass programs?

  Off-campus graduate students and postdoctoral scholars may purchase the Go Pass at a significant discount through the pilot programs. One program is for off-campus graduate students and the other program is for off-campus postdoctoral scholars. Go Passes are available for purchase for both programs from 2014 through 2016. Continuation of the programs will depend on levels of participation, among other factors.

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Eligibility

• How do I know whether I am an eligible graduate student or postdoctoral scholar?
  
  

  You must reside off campus in an eligible ZIP code. You are responsible for ensuring that your address is entered correctly in Axess. P&TS normally receives data within two or three days of entry in Axess.

  • US citizens and permanent residents: You must have an eligible residential address designated as your “Stanford (local) address” to be eligible  Other address fields, such as “Permanent,” “Home,” and “Mail,” are not used for Go Pass eligibility.

  • International students: We are in the process of determining the correct field for you to update in Axess. Please contact us or check back within the next two weeks for instructions. Eligible ZIP codes

  • Enrollment: Graduate students must be registered in at least 6 units or at TGR to purchase a Go Pass. Postdoctoral scholars must be appointed through the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs. P&TS normally receives data within two or three days of entry in Axess.

• I am a postdoc enrolled in a graduate degree program, can I buy a Go Pass? Do I count as a graduate student or postdoctoral scholar?

  Yes, you can get a pass. If you are a postdoctoral scholar who is appointed through the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, you are considered a postdoctoral scholar, and the eligibility and purchase rules for postdocs apply.

• I am a coterm student, am I eligible?

  Coterm students who are paying Graduate Tuition are eligible to purchase the Go Pass. (Refer to tuition rules for coterm students) Students enrolled in a coterminal master’s degree program begin to pay graduate tuition rate:

  • after 12 full-tuition undergraduate quarters.
  • after 15 full-tuition quarters for students with two undergraduate degrees
  • once the undergraduate degree has been conferred, or
  • if they are granted any graduate aid (assistantships or graduate fellowships) before the completion of the 12th undergraduate quarter

• I am on Graduation Quarter. Am I eligible?

  Yes, you are eligible. You are registered as a TGR student, and TGR students are eligible.

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Purchase

• What if my faculty adviser, PI, or department wants to pay for my Go Pass?

  Graduate students and postdoctoral scholars can provide a receipt to those willing to sponsor their participation and request reimbursement. Departments may, if they choose, credit the account of graduate students who charge the Go Pass to their student bill.

• Can my spouse, partner or child purchase a pass?

  No, these passes are only available to eligible Stanford graduate students and postdoctoral scholars. Transfer of these passes can result in fines and revocation of transit pass privileges.
  

• I am planning to graduate or leave campus in June. Can I sell back my pass?

  No, Go Pass sales are final and non-refundable. Please factor this into your decision of whether purchasing the Go Pass makes sense for you and your circumstances.

• Why do I have to pay for this when employees get free Go Passes?

  The funding model for the programs is different. The pilot programs for graduate students and postdocs are heavily subsidized by the Provost (both programs), the Dean of the School of Medicine (postdoc program) and the Graduate Student Council (graduate student program). Even with these subsidies, a large percentage of students and postdocs must purchase the pass for the program to be financially viable.

  The employee Go Pass program is funded by revenues generated under the university’s General Use Permit (GUP) with the County of Santa Clara. Funding the Go Pass for benefits-eligible university employees helps the university meet its transportation commitments under the GUP. In 2012, Stanford Hospital and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital also purchased the Go Pass for their benefits-eligible employees as part of the hospitals’ agreement with the City of Palo Alto allowing them to build new medical center facilities, which include concurrent building projects at Stanford Hospital & Clinics, Packard Children’s, and the Stanford School of Medicine.

• How is the cost of the pass determined?

  To participate in Caltrain’s Go Pass program, Stanford is required to purchase passes for the entire group of eligible participants, not just for those who are purchasing and using them. The rate is set by Caltrain. Students and postdocs are charged what the University pays Caltrain for each pass.

  Since the program starts on Sept. 2, 2014, the university and those purchasing the pilot Go Pass are able to purchase the pass at a prorated rate of one-third ($55) of the annual cost ($165) for 2014. The cost of the 2015 Go Pass will be $180 per pass, since Stanford will purchase 2015 passes for each eligible participant for the full calendar year.

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Use

• Does the Go Pass allow me to ride VTA buses, express buses, or light rail or any other transit system?

  No, the Go Pass is valid only to ride Caltrain.

• Do I need to commit to using Caltrain for commuting to be eligible for the pass?

  No, you are free to buy the pass and use your preferred method of commuting. You may use the pass at any time and for any purpose. By using the pass to explore or enjoy destinations in the Bay Area, you could save on high parking costs in some cities, such as San Francisco. If you normally bike, walk, carpool or take the bus for your commute, you may be eligible for Clean Air Cash to help offset the cost of the Go Pass through the Stanford Commute Club.

• Is the pass valid on all Caltrains?

  Yes, the Go Pass can be used on all trains, at all times, for the entire calendar year for which it is issued.

• Can I purchase a monthly permit to park at Caltrain?

  Yes, if you have a Go Pass, you can purchase a monthly Caltrain permit at the Parking & Transportation Services office at 340 Bonair Siding using a credit (Visa or Mastercard only) or debit card, cash, or check. Permits are $50 per month and can be used to park at any station with designated Caltrain parking.

• Will the Go Pass programs continue beyond 2016?

  We don’t know. The more Go Passes that are purchased, the more likely it is that the programs will continue. Go Pass sales will indicate the programs’ financial viability and the level of interest from participants. The graduate student and the postdoctoral scholar pilot programs will be evaluated separately when determining whether one or both will continue.

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