Where Graduate and Professional Students Should Park
To ensure the safety and security of all members of the Vanderbilt University community, it is imperative to adhere to the university's parking regulations. Unauthorized parking on campus is strictly prohibited, except for visitors who may park in designated spaces allocated for them.
Parking lots across campus are designated for specific purposes, including annual, daily, undergraduate, or reserved spaces. Vehicles must be parked in areas corresponding to their affiliation with the university, following the guidelines outlined in the University Parking Regulations. Individuals with annual permits have the flexibility to park in any non-reserved parking space within an annual permit lot on campus, providing convenience and accessibility for permit holders.
Useful Parking Maps
Explore all available parking options for graduate and professional students with our interactive parking maps. These maps are regularly updated to reflect changes in parking for the current academic year, ensuring accurate and up-to-date information for your convenience. All parking maps for the University are available online here. You can view all lots available to you in the interactive parking map for graduate students.
Navigate the parking maps effortlessly by using the Layer List in the upper left-hand corner to toggle parking options on or off, allowing for a customized map view tailored to your preferences. Simply click on a garage, parking lot, or icon to access detailed information about each option, including accessibility and capacity. Additionally, utilize the Measure Tool, also located in the upper left-hand corner, to estimate distances from garages/lots to buildings, assisting you in planning and navigating your parking needs effectively. Explore our parking maps today to find the best parking solutions for your graduate and professional student experience.
MoveVU Commute Calculator: Maximize Your Budget
Discover the MoveVU Commute Calculator, your personalized tool for navigating parking and transportation options at Vanderbilt University:
- Tailored to your Vanderbilt affiliation and campus activities, the commute calculator assesses your parking and transportation requirements
- It considers factors such as frequency and locations of your on-campus visits, as well as available sustainable commute opportunities
- Receive a comprehensive comparison of estimated monthly costs for various parking options, helping you make informed decisions about your commute
Parking Options: Rates, Locations, and Deadlines
As a graduate student, you have several parking options to consider based on your needs and preferences. Please review the following choices and select the option that best suits you. It's important to note that parking availability is typically on a first come, first served basis. Graduate students may log in online with their VUnetID and password to register their vehicle for the 2024–25 academic year with VUPS Parking Services.
Parking Options
Vanderbilt University offers a daily parking program that includes four parking locations: Terrace Place Garage, Wesley Place Garage, Sony Garage and West Garage. Advantageously, participants will have to pay to park only on days they drive a vehicle to campus. Please note that only daily parking participants have access to the daily parking facilities and are eligible for sustainable commute incentives and programs.
Graduate and professional students interested in daily parking must complete the Parking Application in the MoveVU Commute Hub on Wednesday by noon in order to gain access to the daily parking garages by the end of the week. Applications are continually accepted on a rolling basis, you do not need to reapply once enrolled. You can check your enrollment status here.
To apply for daily parking:
- Eligible individuals must apply by noon on Wednesdays for access to daily parking garages by the end of the week
- Create an account in the MoveVU Commute Hub if you haven’t already
- Log into the MoveVU Commute Hub
- Select ‘Parking’ on the left-hand side of your screen
- Select the ‘Parking Application’ tab near the top of your screen
- Follow the instructions
Upon completion, your application will be marked as 'Submitted.' Our team will then review the information provided, and the status will transition to 'Pending Approval.' By the week's end, your application will be updated to 'Active,' and you'll receive further instructions via email regarding the utilization of daily parking.
We routinely monitor the capacity of our daily parking facilities. While we do not foresee these facilities reaching full capacity, we may place you on a waiting list if circumstances change in the future.
The 2024-25 Daily Parking Rates as of September 1 are as follows:
- $4.25 per day at Terrace Place Garage and West Garage
- $6.00 per day at Sony Garage and Wesley Place Garage
Graduate and professional students have the option to purchase an interim permit valid for 30 days, priced at less than the cost of two 8-hour days of hourly parking. This permit grants eligible students access to park in any annual parking garage or lot until access to the daily parking facilities is activated. Interim permits are priced at $48 (Band 1 rate) and must be paid in full upfront at the Parking Services office using a debit or credit card or check. Please note that this is a one-time purchase, and no extensions will be granted.
Parking events are seamlessly logged in the MoveVU Commute Hub tool when you tap your Vanderbilt ID card to access one of the daily parking facilities. Upon tapping your Vanderbilt ID card at the card reader, the reader illuminates green, allowing access as the gate opens, and your parking event is automatically logged in your Commute Calendar. You can park in any of the daily parking facilities and will only be charged once per day, regardless of entries in multiple facilities within the same day.
- Please review the Daily Parking FAQ for answers to common questions about the program
- Contact the MoveVU Commute Concierge if you need additional assistance
Registration for graduate and professional students begins on August 6. During registration, graduate students have the opportunity to purchase annual parking permits at a rate of $564 for the entire academic year, which equates to $47 per month. With an annual permit, individuals have the flexibility to park in any non-reserved parking space within designated annual permit lots on campus. You can explore all available parking lots on the interactive parking map.
Additionally, the 2024-25 Graduate and Professional Student Annual Permit Rates, effective from September 1, offer three payment options: monthly, semester, and annual. Monthly permits are priced at $47, semester permits at $188, and annual permits at $564. Annual permit holders also have the option to switch to the daily parking program at any point in the year through the rolling applications process. Refunds are not permited.
- Please review the Parking FAQ for answers to common questions about the program
For short term parking needs, graduate and professional students can also utilize hourly paid parking spaces in select parking lots and garages across campus. These convenient spaces are an option for individuals visiting campus or needing short-term parking and are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Powered by parking app ParkMobile, this system can be used in the following way:
- Download the ParkMobile app on the App Store and Google Play
- Scan the QR code on the signs where you park
- Text PARK to 77223
- Individuals without smartphones can call 877-727-5015
Please note that parking costs $9.00/hour. All pay by phone transactions will incur a $0.45 transaction fee, including each extension of parking.
Parking lots and garages with hourly paid parking are noted on the parking map and are marked with signs. Current locations include: Lots , 5A, 5B, 16B, 18A, 25, 63, 71, 95, 102, 130 and 298A, 301, 25th Avenue Garage, Terrace Place, Wesley Place Garage and West Garage.
Certain hourly parking spaces may be impacted by campus construction activities. For the latest updates on affected areas, please check the ParkMobile app. For direct assistance with the ParkMobile app or related inquiries, you can contact ParkMobile support at Support.ParkMobile.io. If you have Vanderbilt-specific questions regarding parking, please reach out to us at parking@vanderbilt.edu.
It's important to note that the $5 daily hang tags previously sold by Parking Services have been discontinued and will no longer be accepted. Refunds will not be provided for previously purchased hang tags.
Please note that no refunds will be issued for any graduate and professional student permits. For questions or if you need additional assistance, contact VUPS Parking Services at parking@vanderbilt.edu or 615-322-2554
Sustainable Commute Incentive
Participants in the daily parking program who opt for sustainable commutes to campus will receive a $1 daily incentive for each sustainable commute, earning up to a maximum of $20 per month, based on a 20-day work month. Eligible sustainable commutes include walking, biking, transit (bus and train), carpooling, and vanpooling. Learn more and get started at this link below
How Daily Parking Charges and Commute Incentives are Processed
Parking charges and commute incentives are meticulously recorded in the MoveVU Commute Hub and are processed with utmost care. Here's how the processing unfolds:
- Parking charges and commute incentives are debited and credited within the Commodore Cash account.
- Graduate and professional students load funds onto their Commodore Cash account to pay for parking charges. The suggested amount per month is $60.
- Negative account balances will receive a warning email before access to daily parking garages is turned off.
- Charges and incentives are processed the following Monday each week.
- Your account must be paid in full before departure from Vanderbilt.
It's important to note that all members of the community have access to monitor their parking charges and commute incentives through the Commute Calendar at any given time. Additionally, any parking appeals need to be addressed and resolved before the conclusion of the pay period.
Furthermore, it's important to note that incentive awards may be subject to Federal income tax, and each participant is responsible for reporting and paying any taxes due on these awards. For further guidance and information, individuals are encouraged to consult with their tax advisor.
Electric Vehicles and Charging Stations
Vanderbilt University is dedicated to promoting sustainability and reducing its carbon footprint by encouraging the use of electric vehicles (EVs) among Students, Faculty, and Staff who choose to drive to campus. Currently, Vanderbilt maintains 16 electric vehicle charging stations strategically located across campus. These charging stations can be found in the 25th Avenue, Wesley Place, and Terrace Place garages, as well as in Lot 5B.
- For further information on charging your EV on campus, please refer to the details provided here
Alternative Options for a Sustainable Commute
To help you choose the best commute option for yourself, the university provides numerous resources and optional benefits to customize your commute plan. One such option is the opportunity to ride WeGo Public Transit for free. Additionally, the Office of Transportation and Mobility offers access to a commute specialist, known as the Commute Concierge, who can assist in planning sustainable commute options, group excursions, and parking alternatives.
- For more information or to request Commute Concierge services, please fill out this request form or email MoveVU@vanderbilt.edu
Why Register Your Vehicle?
To uphold the safety of Vanderbilt's community and effectively manage our parking resources, it's essential that all vehicles operated on campus by university members are registered with VUPS Parking Services. This registration requirement extends to various vehicles, including automobiles, SUVs, trucks, vans, golf carts, mopeds, motorcycles, and even bicycles, which should be registered with the VUPD. Regardless of whether you're a Student residing on or off-campus, this policy applies; essentially, anyone not visiting briefly or attending prearranged special events through VUPS Parking Services must adhere to this registration policy.
Registering your vehicle is a separate process from purchasing a parking permit. While registration is required for all vehicles operated on campus, purchasing a parking permit is necessary if you plan to park on campus regularly. The type of permit you need—whether annual or daily—depends on your parking needs.
For those who require daily parking on campus, a permit is still necessary. Daily parking permits allow individuals to park on campus on a short-term basis, typically for a single day or a few days at a time. These permits are ideal for students, faculty, and staff who do not need to park on campus every day or who prefer a more flexible parking option. To obtain a daily parking permit, individuals must register their vehicle with VUPS Parking Services and then purchase a daily parking permit as needed.
To register your vehicle online, you will need the following:
- Your VUNET ID and password
- State and license plate numbers for the vehicle(s) you are registering, along with the make, model, year, and color
Payment information, which can be submitted via student account or credit/debit card
- If you’ve got further inquiries, please take the time to read through our list of Frequently Asked Questions
Categories of Permits
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Grad
Graduate students.
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U
Motorcycles, mopeds, Scooters and motorized bicycles, etc.
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GST
Guests of Vanderbilt residents, only valid on the weekends until 7:00 am Monday morning
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VUF
ROTC and Cross entity students (must show valid ID and not be enrolled at Vanderbilt as a full time student or staff)