{"id":165654,"date":"2026-02-23T14:19:59","date_gmt":"2026-02-23T14:19:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/165654\/"},"modified":"2026-02-23T14:19:59","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T14:19:59","slug":"its-time-for-usf-to-offer-digital-student-ids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/165654\/","title":{"rendered":"It\u2019s time for USF to offer digital student IDs"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/a>Implementing a digital ID option could significantly improve convenience and security for students. ORACLE GRAPHIC\/LUIZA GARCIA<\/p>\n

When I first forgot my USFCard upstairs while doing laundry in my residence hall and was inconveniently locked out, I realized it was time for USF to make a change.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For students living in on-campus housing, this scenario may sound familiar. But student residents aren\u2019t the only ones affected by physical ID requirements.<\/p>\n

USFCards are the official form of identification required for USF students that electronically store resources like Bull Bucks<\/a> and dining dollars<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Student ID cards are also necessary for entering many USF buildings \u2014 including all on-campus housing, as well as the Library<\/a> and on-campus gyms<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Losing or misplacing a student ID card not only causes students to temporarily lose access to buildings and resources, but can even result in them having to pay for a new card.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

Students must request a new card<\/a> through MyBullsPath or the USFCard Request Site, which can take between 2-7 business days until they can pick it up at the USF Card Center in the Library.<\/p>\n

But there is one solution that could help minimize this occurrence \u2014 a digital version of the USFCard.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Providing an option for a digital student ID card that students can access through their cell phones could increase convenience and accessibility at USF.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Related: USF Tampa Library debuts new tap ID entrance to boost security<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

Digital ID cards have been implemented in other Florida schools, including the University of Florida<\/a> and Florida International University.<\/a><\/p>\n

These universities have used a variety of methods to implement this technology.\u00a0<\/p>\n

UF was the first higher-education institution in the state to add digital student IDs, with the digital GATORONE card being implemented in 2023<\/a>, according to the university<\/a>.<\/p>\n

UF students can store their ID card in digital wallets<\/a>, like Apple Wallet, on their mobile devices \u2014 granting them access to buildings and allowing them to make purchases digitally.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This technology was implemented through a partnership with Transact Campus<\/a>, a company that partners with universities to allow students to access their IDs digitally, according to UF<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Florida International University implemented a similar app in 2025 called CBORD Mobile ID<\/a>, which allows students to input their student ID into the app to create a digital ID, according to FIU News<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Both universities use similar partners, as CBORD and Transact Campus have merged and are soon to unite under one brand in March, according to Transact Campus.<\/a><\/p>\n

Related: Demand for USF housing grew. Here\u2019s how it\u2019s affecting students.<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

Regardless of the method used to implement this technology, I believe adding a digital option at USF would be a significant upgrade from being limited to a physical ID card.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A digital option could also increase security, as it could minimize the loss of student ID cards.<\/p>\n

Cora Urhahn, a freshman marketing major, said that she feels a digital alternative could prevent more students like her from losing their IDs.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI lost my ID card at the beginning of the semester because I didn\u2019t have a wallet yet and it slipped out of my pocket,\u201d Urhahn said. \u201cIf I had a digital one, I wouldn\u2019t have lost it and I would have been able to save money from the replacement I had to buy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alexis Read, a freshman finance major, said she believes this switch would make access more seamless for students.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll be less likely to lose your ID card if it\u2019s on your phone, because I feel like you\u2019re less likely to lose your phone,\u201d Read said. \u201cIt\u2019s more accessible. Your phone is always on you.\u201d<\/p>\n

By introducing digital student ID cards as an option, USF could improve the student experience by making access to resources safer and more convenient.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Implementing a digital ID option could significantly improve convenience and security for students. ORACLE GRAPHIC\/LUIZA GARCIA When I…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":165655,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[135,137,136],"class_list":["post-165654","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tampa","tag-tampa","tag-tampa-headlines","tag-tampa-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/165654","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=165654"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/165654\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/165655"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=165654"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=165654"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=165654"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}