Access to Campus Services

The U Card is a key that electronically identifies a cardholder's role within the University community, thus verifying eligibility for campus services. Here is a listing of campus departments that use the U Card for access to their services:

• The U Card is used by University libraries to determine eligibility for access to their materials. All Twin Cities campus library locations that extend borrowing privileges require the U Card.
  
  
• The U Card is required for access into the University Recreation Center and St. Paul Gym. The U Card is used to verify URC membership, allowing access to their facilities. Students who pay their student services fee are automatically URC members. Faculty and staff can be URC members by paying a discounted membership rate, which can be deducted from their paycheck.
  
  

• The U Card is used for verification of student, staff or faculty status at the University Golf Course.
  
  
• The U Card is used to access FlexDine and residence hall dining rooms. However, the U Card Office does NOT handle your meal plan! Call 624-0558 for questions regarding residence hall meal plan access.
  
  
• Residence hall students use U Cards to activate residence hall laundry machines.
  
  
• The U Card is used to determine eligibility for Bursar services like check cashing.
  
  
• The U Card is used to determine eligibility to arts ticket discounts to Northrop events.
  
  
• The U Card is used to determine eligibility to art department materials.
  
  
• The U Card is used to determine eligibility to athletic ticket discounts.
  
  
• The U Card is used to determine eligibility to Carlson School of Management services and equipment.
  
  
• The U Card is used by the University of Minnesota Bookstores to charge purchases to your Student Account. (Please note: There is a one day waiting period before you can use your new or replacement U Card at the University of Minnesota Bookstores.)
  
  
• The U Card is used to access over 20 ADCS computer labs.
  
  
• The U Card is used to determine eligibility for access to the CLA Public Computer Lab.
  
  
• The U Card is used to access the College of Pharmacy computer labs.
  
  
• The U Card is used to access the Chemistry computer lab.
  
  
• The U Card is used to determine eligibility for student employment services.
  
  
• The U Card is used to determine eligibility to Institute of Project Tech Power services.
  
  
• The U Card is used to determine eligibility for access into the Student Writing Center.
  
  
• The U Card is used to determine eligibility for access to the CLA Language Center and its materials.
  
  
• The U Card is used to determine eligibility for access to the academic counseling lab located in the Bierman Field Athletic Building.
  
  
• The U Card is used to determine eligibility for clinical health services and address verification at Boynton Health Services.
  
  

Additional U Card Services

Gopher GOLD
The U Card's Gopher GOLD program makes it easier and faster to make small purchases on campus. Use it instead of carrying cash and save money by being better able to budget what you spend.

Secured Building Access
U Cards act as key cards for access to dozens of secured buildings on campus. Card access is much safer than key access because an individual's building access can be deactivated immediately and without disruption to others in the building.

If you experience issues with door access, please contact your supervisor or your department's payroll/HR person to correct the situation. The U Card Office does not control door access!

Time and Attendance

• The U Card is used by the Minneapolis Student Unions to record part-time employee time and attendance.
  
• The U Card is used at ADCS (Academic Distributed Computing Services) computer labs to record part-time employee time and attendance.
  
• Parking and Transportation Services uses the U Card to track employee hours.

U Card Checking Account
The U Card, in partnership with TCF Bank, has negotiated an exceptional free-checking account package offered exclusively to members of the University of Minnesota community! The U Card checking account can save you both time and money. Click here to find out more about the U Card checking account.

U Card Calling Card Account
The U Card, in partnership with C-COM, has negotiated an exceptional calling card and residential phone service package offered exclusively to members of the University of Minnesota community! The U Card calling card account can save you both time and money. Click here to find out more about the U Card calling card account.

Minnesota Employee Recreation and Services Council (MERSC)
MERSC offers discounts to state employees. University staff and faculty can click here for more information.