Vanderbilt University Students will now be able to charge their Uber rides to their Commodore Cards thanks to a new campus card payment option. Vanderbilt is one of a host of early-adopter campuses across the country to partner with Uber as part of the company's new university initiative. 

According to the Vanderbilt Hustler, numerous campus departments including campus police and the Dean of Students have backed the new option for students to charge rides to their campus card, hailing the initiative as a worthwhile student service. Students will be able to enjoy Uber's competitive fare rates, while also leveraging local transportation in a safe manner, the university said in a statement.

As an added safety benefit, students can share their ETA with friends and family via the app so they can follow the student's route and know when to expect their arrival.

To participate, students will need to first download the Uber app for their iOS or Android device and set up the account with a credit or debit card, as usual. Students will then be given the option to link their Commodore Card by selecting the “Payment" option in the Uber app and selecting “Campus Card." Students will need to be in the Nashville area to initially link their campus card account using a university email account and password.

Commodore Card balances will also be visible in the app when calling a car, and students will have to enter their destinations to verify that there are sufficient funds in their account to cover the trip. Additional funds can be added to the student account via CBORD's GET app.

The partnership with Uber was initiated by Vanderbilt Student Government's Campus Life Committee, who pitched the idea to Vanderbilt's card office manager. After initial test runs throughout the summer months, the Commodore Card officially became a payment option on August 15.

Uber has partnered with a host of other universities across the country where campus cards are also being accepted as forms of payment:

• Fairfield University
• Fitchburg State College
• Merrimack College
• Rhode Island School of Design
• Seton Hall University
• Stevens Institute of Technology
• University of Louisville
• University of South Alabama
• Vanderbilt University
• Virginia Commonwealth University
• William Paterson University
• Jackson State University
• Trinity University
• University of Texas at Dallas
• Santa Clara University
• University of San Francisco