The University increased the price of student identification cards, effective Sept. 1.

New school IDs and replacement IDs both cost $10 prior to Sept 1. After the increases, a student’s first ID costs $20, and a replacement costs $28, according to the University Catalogs. 

The ID Center, located in the Flawn Academic Center, used “an in-depth process that considers consumables, equipment, salary and wages,” when making this change, according to internal messages to employees shared with The Daily Texan.

Susan Roy, director of the University’s ITS Customer Support Services, said the ID Center makes 30,000 cards annually, and each card costs the University $7.28. She also said other production materials, such as laminate, add an additional estimate of $250,000 as a yearly expense. According to the internal messages, the University spends $468,400 yearly to produce the 30,000 IDs. 

Roy said “much more is factored into the rate calculations,” which requires multiple approvals, including from the Board of Regents.

“The goal is to break even,” Roy said in the internal messages. “We are not a profit center. Recently, we were fortunate to have a new rate approved. It was long overdue.”