Even though this small plastic card may seem meaningless at first, it’s the only thing that will allow the entirety of the IU campus and its amenities to be accessible to students.
An ID card will allow a student to ride both the campus and Bloomington Transit buses, be admitted to athletic events as a student, check out materials at the libraries, purchase discounted IU Auditorium tickets and be admitted to campus Rec Sports ?facilities.
Most importantly, the ID card will allow the student admittance to his or her on-campus residence or ?dormitory.
If the student is attending a large lecture class, the ID may be used as a form of verification when turning in midterm or final exams.
Additionally, the ID card is the primary way for students to purchase food on campus. This can be in the form of I-bucks or CampusAccess.
I-bucks, the primary monetary equivalent used on campus, allows a student to purchase food at any of the 29 Residential Programs and Services dining facilities on campus.
First-year students living on campus in the residence halls are encouraged to purchase the I-Bucks 60 Meal Plan. The “60” represents the 60% discount students will receive off of the cash price when purchasing food in the dining halls.
Students are able to check how many I-bucks they have at any given time on the IU RPS website. Should a student run out of I-bucks before the semester is over, he or she will be able to add additional I-bucks at no extra charge. A complete I-bucks FAQ is available on the IU RPS website.
For students who wish to purchase food at the Indiana Memorial Union or off-campus locations, there is CampusAccess, a declining balance account associated with a student ID card. CampusAccess is the university’s convenient alternative to carrying cash or a credit card both on and off ?campus.
CampusAccess is accepted at several locations including Ami Japanese Restaurant, Bloomingfoods Market and Deli, Campus Candy, Chipotle, Jimmy John’s and the Village Deli. In addition to food, CampusAccess is accepted at the IU Bookstore, TIS College Bookstore and the IMU parking lots.
CampusAccess is also accepted as payment for the laundry machines in the residence halls. A list of locations that accept CampusAccess can be found at cacard.indiana.edu.
In order to set up a CampusAccess account, a student must make a deposit at cacard.indiana.edu. From there, the student may continually load money as he or she sees fit.
During new student orientation, a new student will be given a student ID card that they will use for all four years while attending IU. Specific information about obtaining an ID card will be in the student’s orientation packet they will receive once they arrive for?orientation.
If a student is unable to obtain an ID card during new student orientation, he or she must go to Campus Card Services in the Indiana Memorial Union or in Eigenmann Hall. New students may receive their ID card one week prior to the start of an academic term.
ID cards are valid up to several months after a student’s graduation date. Should he or she choose to continue his or her education at IU after undergraduate commencement, he or she may renew the ID card at no extra cost.
Should an ID card become lost or stolen, students may go to Campus Card Services and obtain a new card for $25.
