By René Biberstein
Do you have the card? The International Student Identity Card; ISIC that is. Although not widely known about, the ISIC programme provides more savings for people aged 12 through university graduation than any other discount card.
Joseph Vanveen, head of ISIC's Canadian headquarters in Toronto, notes that the card is not new. "We've had it in Canada for about twenty years," he says. Internationally, the card has been available since the 1950's when world travel first became fast and affordable.
The ISIC allows students to have an ID that is recognised in ninety countries, and can be used to get student rates where available. Many organisations also offer additional discounts. "Here in Canada we have about three or four thousand discounts," Vanveen says. The ISIC Student Travel Handbook gives the figure of 17,000 locations internationally, but there may actually be more. Vanveen admits that many organisations the ISIC administration don't know about also recognise the card.
At a cost of $16 (Cdn.) and lasting for a sixteen month period before renewal, the card is advertised as being affordable for nearly everyone. Considerable savings make membership worthwhile. VIA rail for instance, offers a 40% discount to all students travelling economy class at any distance.
But other benefits exist. The ISIC card is accepted by bicycle renters in Ottawa, scuba outfitters in Newfoundland and the Whistler hotel in B.C. Students travelling to these locations &emdash;and thousands of others in Canada&emdash; save money or are privy to free services. Internationally, the card is similarly useful. It is accepted at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C., the Acropolis in Greece, the Trans-Siberian railway in Russia, and the public transportation system of Prague. While some university student cards are accepted in certain places, all high school students and many post-secondary students will need the card for normal student prices abroad.
Many students use the card, about 115 thousand in Canada and about three million internationally. Still many, particularly high school students, don't know about its existence. University students, ISIC's main users, often don't realise the full potential of the card either. Many use it for a single short trip, not knowing the extent to which it is accepted.
"I heard about it in my first year in university," says Ryerson Polytechnic student, Sarah Denham. She notes that because of the way the card was presented, she didn't realise it was useful outside of VIA rail, let alone Canada. "Right now the only thing you see is a pamphlet that shows you how it saves you money on VIA rail. I don't even know what else it could be used for." Denham has found it useful and cost-efficient, but wishes she could learn more about it.
"We do on-campus promotion in the fall," says Vanveen. This includes visits by ISIC representatives, on-site issuing of card, and advertising in campus newspapers. Vanveen hopes that more high school students learn about the benefits, but believes ISIC's focus on university and college is justified because post-secondary students are more likely to travel. However for poorly informed university students, he can only hope they are reached by word of mouth.
The administration is planning radical changes for the future of the card. ISIC is "going to take on a new look in 1999," says Vanveen. "It's going toward the super card." The proposed "super card" will see the addition of microchips and digitised identification on the card. This may result in it being more widely accepted, including the possibility of automatic telephone discounts.
At the moment, some benefits other than monetary savings already exist. For instance, there is a free international hotline for card users which offers help and advice to student travellers. However, the savings are considered by most to be the main service. "I think the number of users will increase largely because of the travel benefits attached to it," says Vanveen. That is, if enough people learn about them.
International Student Identity Card samples from the ISTC page at www.istc.orgBack to the Index
tgmag@tgmag.caCopyright © 1998
TG Magazine /The Students Commission
Le Magazine TG/La Commission des étudiants
