Thomas Parsons

A student vehicle parked outside the Morton Fitness Center is ticketed for lacking a valid parking permit

Texas Wesleyan University students returned to campus this fall to find a new requirement for parking: a $100 annual fee. 

In an email sent over the summer, Chris Beckrich, director of safety and security, announced that beginning on Aug. 15, all students parking on campus must purchase a permit valid through July 2026. The fee applies to both commuter and residential students, and permits will be enforced starting Sept. 1. 

Beckrich said revenue from the permits will go directly toward campus parking improvements, including the addition of about 100 new spaces in Lot E this fall. 

For some students, the announcement came as a shock. 

“My jaw hit the floor,” said Cadence J. Doughty, a sophomore criminal justice major who commutes from Keller. “I understand the money is going to fix our parking lots, but dropping that on students without warning, especially for low-income students, is not fair.” 

Doughty, who works two jobs while balancing school, said she struggled to come up with the money before the enforcement began. 

“If I hadn’t gotten paid this week, I would’ve had to risk parking without a permit and hope I didn’t get a ticket,” she said. 

Doughty also expressed frustration that she had no input in the decision.  

“Security had been contemplating charging for parking for a while, but students didn’t get a say,” Doughty said. “It just felt like, ‘This is what you have to do now.’” 

For seniors, the new fee feels more like a short-term burden. 

“When I first read the email, I was kind of taken aback,” said Cassidy McGinnis, a senior majoring in general studies. “It used to be free, and now I’m paying $100. I wasn’t really happy about it, but I’ll just pay it, I guess. I probably won’t even be here long enough to see the improvements.” 

McGinnis, who works for an after-school program, said the cost didn’t hurt her budget significantly, but she worried about classmates in tougher financial situations. She also questioned whether the fee could have been lower. 

“My high school charged commuters $5 to park,” she said. “Something around that would be more fitting for a college student’s budget.” 

Ellsee Maradiaga, a junior psychology major, said she saw both sides of the issue. 

“I think it’s fair since they’re adding more parking spaces,” Maradiaga said. “But as a commuter who also has to pay for gas and textbooks, $100 still hurts.” 

She suggested lowering the fee to make it easier for students.  

“Maybe $25 would be more reasonable,” she said. 

Despite the frustration, students agreed parking has been a problem at Wesleyan. Complaints include potholes, fading lot lines and limited spaces far from classrooms. The university said funds will continue to be used each year for upgrades. 

“The parking lots definitely need work— there are potholes, the lines are faded and some of the spaces are way too far from the classrooms,” Doughty said. 

For now, students are left to adjust. 

“I know improvements are needed,” Doughty said. “But putting the entire cost on students, and without giving us notice or a voice, makes it really hard.”