At Chaminade University, a parking permit runs between $215 and $270 per semester, but paying that doesn’t guarantee a parking spot. Commuters circle the parking garage, hoping for an opening, only to give up and hike from upper campus. For many students, the high fee doesn’t match the daily struggle of finding a place to park.
“I feel like I get scammed, to be honest, because it’s like, why charge me for a service I can’t even utilize?” said Adam Haley, a freshman psychology major. “What I hate the most is paying $215 and still having to park all the way on top of the hill and then walking down and back up again after class.”
The complaints aren’t new, but they’ve grown louder as students weigh the cost of permits against the risk of tickets. A single ticket costs about $50, nearly a quarter of a parking pass. For some, skipping the permit feels like a smarter choice.
“You can get a ticket five times, and that’s the same cost as a parking pass,” said Kayden Medeiros, a junior sports and event management major. “Usually that’s not going to happen, so why would I pay for it?”
Medeiros doesn’t buy a permit at all, saying the lack of reliable spots makes it a bad deal.
“The parking garage is always full, so you have to resort to going up to upper campus. And even there, you’re not guaranteed a spot,” he said.
Campus Safety director Warren Pulley, who oversees enforcement, said most citations are written for students who fail to display their permit, park in the wrong stall, or don’t buy one at all. Vehicles can also be towed if security cannot locate the driver. When asked why permits are so expensive, Pulley pointed to what people already pay in other parts of daily life.
“Anywhere you go, there’s a permitting system for parking,” Pulley said. “Whether you’re going to a mall, a concert, or whatever it is, you always have to pay for parking.”
While Chaminade’s parking permits cost $215 to $270 per semester, other universities in Hawai’i charge similar or higher prices. UH Mānoa students pay $234 per semester, or $75 for mopeds. HPU charges about $157 a month plus a $25 registration fee, totaling more than $470 per semester. But students say the real problem isn’t the price; it’s paying for a permit without a guaranteed parking spot.
Students argue that the comparison misses the point. Unlike a trip to the mall, they’re paying tuition on top of a permit and still struggling to find a parking space. Haley said he believes the problem is worse because Chaminade doesn’t control all of its lots. Saint Louis High School and the Marianist community hold a large share of stalls, leaving Chaminade students competing for what’s left.
“Saint Louis gets a lot of the good parking spots, yet they’re mostly comprised of people that don’t even drive,” Haley said. “I think the school should have talks with Saint Louis about converting some of their spots over to Chaminade.”
Pulley admitted the shared space is a big factor.
“Parking is difficult here,” he said. “We share the campus with Saint Louis. We share with the Marianists. And they’re all entitled to a certain number of spaces. For Chaminade, parking is very limited. That’s one of the reasons for the cost and one of the reasons for the strict permitting.”
Students have started suggesting fixes. Haley pointed to an idea borrowed from shopping centers.
“It would be nice if they installed something (digital signs) like at Ala Moana, where it tells you how many stalls are available,” he said. “At least then you’d know if you’re wasting your time driving around.”
For now, students say parking permits add more stress than solutions, while administrators insist it’s simply the reality of limited space.
“It’s not that we don’t want to pay,” Medeiros said. “But if we’re paying, at least make it worth it.”