After a four-year gap, which included the COVID-19 pandemic, Delta has again started charging students for parking. In addition,
the new health fee and the established student activity fees are also in the MyDelta dashboard.
Beginning Tuesday, Sept. 3 a parking permit will be required for students and faculty. A daily permit cost $2 a day and valid for 24 hours. A semester permit is $30 and covers the whole fall semester but can only be bought online. Fines range from $33-$38 for permit violations and some students say the administration should’ve done a better job informing students about this.
First-year student Bryan Greene said “Delta overcharges students and he was never informed of the changes.
“I feel we shouldn’t be paying for parking due to inflation and students working. I’ve seen people trying to use the machines and I’m pretty sure those don’t work. They are for sure overcharging us we shouldn’t be paying health fees and we already have to pay fees on books, most of us rely on aid to come here,” Greene said, “I’m just hearing this and I don’t think I got an email from anybody, they need to do a better job informing students, especially ones who drive to class four days out of the week like me.”
On Aug. 6 students should have received an email with information on how to purchase a permit and reminding students they will be charging for parking. As a caution, students have been told to not park in the Target or Weberstown Mall parking lots to avoid being cited or towed.
Enrollment is back to the levels of pre-COVID and students are looking for a better experience than they had in recent years, coming from high schools that were fully online or in hybrid class models. Greene said he would prefer to do in-person classes and only has one of his four classes online.
Second-year student Veronica Gomez said parking fees are frustrating but understands Delta is a business.
“It sucks to be honest that they are charging for parking but it makes sense, they have to make money too. I’m pretty sure they’ve always charged a fee in My Delta. I feel that isn’t the issue,” Gomez said, “I’ve been coming to campus ever since 2022 and
I’ve never seen the parking lots this busy. I park in Shima and when I come for my afternoon class I see some parking spots being used in the second lot and usually everyone would fit in the first one.”
From experience usually the parking populations get smaller as the semester goes on.
Raul Martinez started at Delta in the Spring and said he has mixed feelings about the fees.
“I have mixed feelings about all the fees they are charging. If it helps out the campus and community I wouldn’t be opposed to it but based on Delta’s history they always seem to prolong things so I’m not too sure how it’ll all work and be enforced for students
who don’t have passes or the ability to get a parking pass.”
Campus police will be overseeing parking passes and fines. There has been nothing said by Delta about what will happen if a student can’t afford these fees.
