As students gear up for the winter break, the University of Iowa’s Undergraduate Student Government, or USG, is funding another option for students to get to the Eastern Iowa Airport — Uber vouchers. 

The funding was approved by the USG Finance Committee on Nov. 11 for $2,000. Through this pilot program, 50 students will receive two Uber vouchers valued at $20 per ride, $40 total, Daniel Mendez, director of student services at USG, said.

The vouchers are first come, first-served, and USG will begin marketing the program on their Instagram sometime before the vouchers go live Dec. 12. They will be valid through Jan. 19, Mendez said.

Pickups and dropoffs must occur within a 5 mile radius of campus and within 1 mile of the Eastern Iowa Airport, Mendez said.

Mendez said the program was inspired by the success of the Hawkeye Vouchers program, an initiative that also partners with Uber, giving students $5 off rides on campus. 

UI Campus Safety has reported an increase of 3,066 vouchers used from Aug. 22 through Nov. 5 compared to last year.

“We noticed that the Uber voucher program at the start of the semester has been going well so far, and the students are really grateful for the flexibility that that has,” Mendez said. “We thought, why don’t we bring this to the [Anaman Concergie Services] air shuttle program and pilot it and see if students feel the same way?”

Mendez said the university currently has a contract with Anaman Concergie Services, an airport shuttle service, that runs until the end of the academic year. Mendez said the Anaman shuttle often fills up, allowing the new Uber voucher pilot to be an additive program. 

Mendez said that if there is enough demand for the vouchers, he could see the program continuing during the spring. 

“During the spring semester for spring break, there’s always a possibility to add on [the Uber vouchers] with Anaman shuttles,” he said. “And for looking into 2026-27, that’s really going to depend on all of the feedback that we receive from now until the end of the academic year.”

Mendez said there will be feedback forms for both the Uber voucher system and Anaman shuttle for USG to analyze the demand for the new voucher system and to see if it will substitute Anaman or simply act as another option.

Mikaela Ngo, a UI first-year student, said she would prefer to use the Uber vouchers over the shuttle system because she can track the car over the Uber app and have a private car to herself. 

“I’m gonna need to use some way to get to the airport after my finals this winter break. So I hope to use one of the Uber vouchers, because I would really help my family,” she said. “I don’t know anybody here that would be able to take me to the airport.”

Ngo said while the price of the Uber voucher is fair, assisting out-of-state students with traveling home should be an automatic responsibility of the university. 

“If they don’t have a really good free bus for students, then they should at least help pitch in for the Ubers and other options,” she said. “I know other schools have that for their students.”

Other Big Ten schools such as Ohio State University provide a free shuttle service to the airport during academic breaks. 

Alex Sachdev, a UI first-year student, used the Anaman Shuttle Service for the first time over fall break and enjoyed his experience. 

“[The Uber vouchers] would be a good idea because parents wouldn’t have to drive out and pick up their kids every single time, especially for a short break like Thanksgiving,” he said. “I feel like it would be good for students.”

Sachdev said he believes the Uber vouchers to be a good deal for students, considering that the Amanan shuttle costs $30 dollars each way. 

“And I think a lot more students will definitely go to [use] the Uber vouchers because it’s a lot cheaper and probably more efficient for them,” he said. “I would honestly do the Uber system because it seems cheaper.”

Although Sachdev would prefer to use the Uber vouchers, he said he’d rather the service be an additional option to Anaman and not replace it entirely. 

“I would want to have both options floating around,” he said. “If there’s a limited supply of Ubers or something, and not as my students can take the Uber back to where they live, I think the shuttle would also be a good option to have just so then students can have a backup plan.”