Thompson Rivers University has decided to make the jump to a one card credential for its students, merging a number of campus services into a new student identification card.

Beginning in September, all new and returning students attending classes on the Thompson Rivers campus will be required to present the new card when accessing library services, to obtain a student union U-Pass and other services on campus that require identification.

The new one card will also support an off-campus program, providing various student discounts at businesses and restaurants throughout the city of Kamloops, British Columbia.

The university is planning to get ahead of the September rush by providing students with the ability to apply for the card and start the registration process. The cards will be made available as early as Aug. 5 to coincide with the new academic year.

To further facilitate the process, Thompson Rivers is supporting self-submitted photos for the new IDs, and pending approval by campus card staff, the photo will be printed on the ID card and ready for when the students arrive on campus.

To incentivize the program, all students that submit photos between June and August 15 will be entered to win prizes, including gift cards to the campus bookstore and food services on campus.