A student athlete who preferred to stay anonymous said they were told the university will no longer pay for Uber rides to the off-campus physical therapy clinic Point Park students attend.
The athlete, who has been attending physical therapy sessions twice a week since sustaining an injury during practice, said they were notified over text last week by one of the athletic trainers that the university would only be able to provide transportation to one of their two appointments.
They said a friend of theirs, also an athlete, received a similar text from a different athletic trainer saying the school would not be paying for Ubers anymore at all.
The student said the trainer cited an administrative push to limit funds to Uber rides as the reason for the change.
The university could not comment in time for publication.
The athlete said taking advantage of the Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) pass provided by Point Park is not an option for many of those who rely on the rehab facility because of the nature of their injuries. The student is currently wearing a boot on one of their feet that they said restricts their mobility.
“The walk to the bus stop is three minutes, not bad at all,” the student said. “But it’s a 20 minute walk to the facility.”
They said it is “insane” to expect injured students to choose between paying out of pocket for rides or walk distances while injured.
The student said they are hoping they get paid before their next appointment so they can purchase an Uber ride there.
The facility, Rooney Sports Complex, is located on the South Side and is not affiliated with the university, although the student said Point Park athletes are treated there because the school lacks the resources to adequately access and treat some injuries on campus.
“The reason we get sent to [physical therapy] is because there is not enough equipment to fix us here,” they said. “It’s not even close.”
According to the athlete, if students are unable to attend their treatment session off campus, they can complete a modified version at the university gym.
But they said even if the university had all the necessary equipment and qualified physical therapists as the South Side facility, the gym’s limited hours conflict with students’ class and extracurricular schedules, making it difficult to attend regular sessions.
“I promise you, we have the absolute worst facilities, support and communication for sports,” they said. “Absolute worst.”
According to the athlete, the school has been slowly cutting back on financed rides over the course of the semester.
After first sustaining their injury, the student said they were attending physical therapy sessions on the South Side three times a week but were told the school had to cut that number back to two.
Now, with two weeks before the end of the season, that number is limited to one.
“If we don’t have money for this as a DII school, where is the money going?” they said. “Where is the $53,000 [paid in tuition] going?”
