Beginning Aug. 1, students, faculty and staff from both Ringling College of Art and Design and New College of Florida will ride free on Manatee County Area Transit (MCAT) and Sarasota County Area Transit (SCAT) buses with the simple presentation of a valid college ID. The result of months of negotiations between county governments and the aforementioned educational institutions, the Universal Pass or U-Pass program allows Ringling College and New College to pre-pay for student, faculty and staff use of county buses, but it’s a move that Manatee County officials are saying will benefit the entire community in the long run.