Purdue plans one-week fee holiday for ID card trade-ins

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Students wanting to trade in their current Purdue identifications for cards with an expiration date will be able to do so for free for one week, from Oct. 21-25.

“While Purdue does not issue identification cards for voting purposes, we understand there is a strong interest in the community for greater access to our new designs,” said Tim Riley, the university’s bursar. “We want to be helpful to our students in every way we responsibly can.”

Plans for the grace week were developed based on a proposal from the chair of the  University Senate, Cheryl Cooky.

“I was able to sit down with university administrators and the ID card office to discuss the many nuances of the card update process,” Cooky said. “We came up with this solution together, and in my view, it fully satisfies the call from the University Senate to ensure that all students who need an updated identification are able to get one without undue burden.”

According to county election officials, students registered to vote in Tippecanoe County will need to acquire either a student ID with an expiration date, an Indiana driver’s license, a U.S. passport, a military ID or a free Indiana ID card from the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Students with a home address outside the county also have the option to vote by absentee ballot or in person in their home precincts, but may not register to vote in more than one location.

Based on longstanding practice, the university pays the expense of an individual’s first ID card, while replacements cost $25. That fee will remain in place, even during the grace week, for those with lost cards or cards damaged for reasons other than normal wear and tear. Outside the grace week, cardholders will still be able to trade in their existing ID cards for an updated version at the reduced cost of $10. The fee covers the administrative and material expenses of developing, programing and printing a new card.

While the cards available in October are expected to contain the new card design, they will not yet be equipped with the updated technology planned for release in the spring. The higher tech cards will allow the identifications to be read by more electronic devices and will position Purdue for an eventual adoption of mobile credentials.

Students planning to take advantage of the one-week fee waiver should visit the ID Card Office in Hovde Hall, Room 14, during business hours. 

Media contact: Tim Doty, 765-494-2080, doty2@purdue.edu