Perhaps the five parking tickets I’ve received over the last year are a result of pure laziness, but I truly believe that ticketing students is nothing more than a cash grab.
Every now and then, I test my luck with Ohio University Parking Services. I park my car behind my residence hall after a late-night Taco Bell run to avoid the six-minute walk from under Nelson Dining Hall. Then, I move my car back to the correct lot in the early hours of the morning. Occasionally, I am greeted by a white slip on my windshield: a $35 fine because of parking a little closer to my residence hall. My short anecdote brings me to the one thing I would change about the school I have so much love for. OU must change how it runs its Parking Services.
OU Parking Services is genuinely a scam. I have had my car on campus for the last two years. Since then, I have given OU approximately $1,405 to have my car on campus. This number includes two academic year passes, two summer passes and five parking tickets.
I park under Nelson during the school year, and for that spot, I paid $550. I have a few qualms about this price.
OU is currently working on building a new residence hall right behind the “Front Four” called McDavis Hall. McDavis Hall’s construction is in full swing as the building is set to be completed for the fall 2026 semester. As a result, dust and debris from the construction frequently blow into the parking garage, leaving my car covered in dirt.
If I am paying $550 to keep my car on campus, why is it getting covered in dirt from the surrounding construction? Because of the ongoing construction, spots in this lot should have been offered at a discounted price.
Another issue I have with the spot is that the lot under Nelson often is partially closed because of the construction going on, limiting the number of spots for students who pay to park there.
The garage is already overcrowded with cars, making it difficult to find a spot when the parking lot is open. When it is closed off, it becomes more difficult to find a spot. I am often forced to move my car to a different lot, risking a ticket if I do not find a parking meter to keep my car at.
The price students pay for parking is outrageous, as well. At other Ohio colleges, the price of their parking permits is significantly lower.
Kent State University’s on-campus parking permits are $232 for the academic year. Youngstown State University’s parking passes are $310 for the academic year. Miami University parking permits cost $200 for the academic year.
OU’s parking permit prices do not fall below $490 for on-campus parking spots for the academic year. Knowing OU’s outrageous parking prices, it is shocking Parking Services are still so quick to hand out tickets.
With the number of tickets I see daily, I can only wonder where the money from parking ticket fines is going. OU must be making a significant amount of money off parking tickets, and since students already pay so much to attend, why be so strict about parking services?
As enrollment numbers rise, parking spaces are slim, and with the continued construction of new buildings across campus, OU is getting rid of parking lots crucial for students. According to OU’s website, 4,550 first-year students were enrolled for the 2025-26 academic year, another record-breaking year for OU. Therefore, this is not the time to get rid of parking lots.
OU needs to do something about parking services to improve students’ college experiences. While I have had a great experience at OU so far, I believe my experience would be significantly better if I did not have to play musical cars, take my car through a car wash twice a month and could pay less for a parking spot.
Sophia Anness is a junior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note the opinions expressed in this column do not represent those of The Post. Want to talk to Sophia about her column? Email/tweet them at sa425522@ohio.edu /@AnnessSoph0415.
