At the window of Highline College’s Public Safety office in Building 6, Student Cadet Mohamed Ibrahim has the satisfying task of handing out free ORCA cards to students who arrive “full of appreciation.”
The initiative is a partnership with King County Metro and so far more than 800 eligible students have received the free card, giving them unlimited access to a variety of transportation options including Link light rail and Sounder trains, Metro buses, Metro Access, King County Water Taxi, and more.
Being a student himself, Ibrahim, who lives in Tukwila, uses the free ORCA card to catch the bus and light rail to campus. Along with his studies in cybersecurity, he also works part-time as a caregiver. He said the free card helps students get to where they need to go and that it’s an incentive to attend school and keep studying.
“You can go and do your groceries, especially if it’s far away. You can go to the mall, go to the city, go and have a good time,” he said.
According to Nursing Assistant student Erin Mellet, the free ORCA card is “helpful for getting to campus” on the days she doesn’t have a car. It also enables the Seattle resident to make the trip to Highline’s library on her day off from classes to have “a quiet place to work,” instead of studying from her apartment.
Running Start student Yafet Abraham, who is new to the U.S. from Eritrea, East Africa, said the free ORCA card is helpful for students who don’t have a job and can’t afford to pay for transport. In his case, Abraham is a sandwich maker in downtown Seattle and said the card “helps me get to work.”
For Francesca Fender, associate director of public safety and emergency management, “It’s [especially] exciting to provide an opportunity for those who have never used transit before to try a ride at no cost.” She said there’s no limit to the cards that can be issued, as long as the students meet the eligibility requirements.
Eligible students can pick up their ORCA card at the Public Safety Office on the first floor of Building 6 or at the Helpdesk in Building 30. Students need to provide a valid identification card and will be asked to read and sign a cardholder rules of use agreement before receiving their ORCA card. The program runs through June 20, 2027.