Many ski and snowboard resorts offer season passes discounts to college students.
Snowbird, Park City Mountain Resort, and Brighton are just three of the resorts in Utah that offer these discounts.
“Even though school is expensive, it’s nice not to have to pay full price to do something I love,” said SLCC student Kendall Glauser.
Every season, college students have the opportunity to claim discounts on their season passes, and Glauser has years of experience with tracking down the best deal.
“I start looking for the best deals in July,” said Glauser “I’ve been doing this since I was a sophomore in High School.”
“Having a season pass is amazing”
Many Utah resorts are a short drive from a number of SLCC campuses, which makes them fairly accessible for students. Brighton, Snowbird, and Park City Mountain Resort are all in different canyons, but are all under an hour drive from the Taylorsville Redwood Campus.
“Having a season pass is amazing” said college student Savannah Braner. “I can go boarding for an entire day, or only a couple days, whenever I like.”
Every resort has different requirements in order to qualify for a student season pass. For example, Park City Mountain Resort requires a current student I.D. and proof of at least 12 credit hours in order to claim their student discount. At $475, this is hundreds of dollars cheaper than a regular adult pass.
Brighton, however, requires only 8 college credits, but also requires a tuition receipt.
Although every resort has its own requirements for their student discount, one thing is universal throughout the resorts: prices on season passes will go up around the middle of September.
Season pass benefits
A lower price is not the only incentive offered to purchase a season pass before the snow falls. Many resorts, such as Park City Mountain Resort, offer summertime access to their lifts. This makes it easier to access summertime activities, such as biking, hiking or fishing.
Once the snow does arrive, there are more season pass-holder benefits than just having access to the mountain. Brighton, for example, offers a 10 percent discount at the Brighton Mountain Sports store, UTA Ski Bus privileges and 10 visits to other resorts owned by Boyne, the parent company of Brighton Resort.
Resorts in Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons also have the benefit of a park and ride service for season pass holders. This service cuts driving time in half, which allows season pass holders to park at the mouths of their respective canyon, where they can catch a bus and be dropped off at their resort’s doorsteps.
While purchasing a season pass may not be for everyone who wants to ride this coming winter, it can be a cheaper option than purchasing single-day passes. The prices for single day tickets can cost over $100, which can easily add up to more than the cost of a season pass after only a few days.
For a full list of prices to resorts all across Utah, visit www.skiutah.com, where links to all Utah resorts can be found.
