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“Houston has a great deal more to offer our undergraduates than what they might learn in the classroom or laboratory. Indeed, we want our students to see Houston as perhaps one of the most important learning environments available to them while they are at Rice. Whether it is attending an exhibition in the world-class Museum District that neighbors our campus, participating in a public service internship with a government or nonprofit organization, or hopping the light rail to enjoy any number of Houston's diverse cultural, athletic, and culinary offerings, Rice students must view this dynamic city as an integral part of their experience on an urban campus.” — President David W. Leebron
MISSION
Passport to Houston is a program designed to engage students with the city of Houston in order to develop students who are community-oriented, socially-engaged, and culturally-aware.
GOALS
With the assistance of a student advisory board (Rice Program Council's Arts & Entertainment Committee), Passport to Houston identifies and builds relationships with civic institutions that offer students educational and/or cultural opportunities for intellectual, social, and professional growth. The Passport program promotes and highlights civic organizations and events as well as other Houston-area resources that may be of interest to students. To promote student engagement in Houston, the Passport program provides free or discounted access to public transportation and free or discounted admission to cultural arts venues.
WHAT DOES PASSPORT TO HOUSTON OFFER?
Rice undergraduate students can obtain a METRO Q Card for unlimited use on regularly scheduled METRO transportation systems, including the light rail, during the academic year. Graduate students (excluding Jones School) are eligible to purchase Metro Cards with a value of $500 for $55. Metro Q Cards for undergraduates and graduate students are available from the Cashier’s Office in the Allen Center. Undergraduate Metro Q Cards can only be obtained and replenished during the academic year.
With your valid student ID the Passport program also provides (1) unlimited access to the Museum of Fine Arts (for undergraduate students only), (2) unlimited access to permanent exhibitions and the Cockrell Butterfly Center at the Houston Museum of Natural Science (for undergraduate students only), and (3) unlimited access to the Houston Zoo. Read the FAQs for additional information and terms of the program.
Students are also invited to attend Rice Night Events sponsored by the Rice Program Council, the Passport to Houston program and their partners. These events are free to undergraduate and graduate students with tickets distributed through each colleges and the Graduate Student Association's Arts & Entertainment Committee representative. Please join the Passport to Houston Facebook Group for up-to-date event information.
"Really, the best part of the Passport to Houston wasn’t how much money I saved (though that was nice), it was knowing the latest Houston opportunities and transportation options available to me. If I hadn’t gone to the Rice Night at the Symphony, I never would have known about the Randy Newman concert or the student discount tickets. If the bus routes to Hobby airport weren’t posted at the Passport site with detailed directions, times, and maps, I never would have taken advantage of that mode of public transit. In short, thank you for this great program! I hope my personal account is a positive testament of the Passport to Houston !"
—Junior at Hanszen College
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