Parking availability is an issue many students deal with daily.

Many commuting students find themselves searching for parking spots. Yellow parking stickers, which cost $65 annually, are designed for commuter students.

There are currently 5,713 active yellow parking permits and about 2,036 yellow spots available.

“Sometimes, I’ll have to drive around for half an hour or more,” said Jen Sledzinski, a communication studies graduate student.

According to NIU’s campus parking map, the NIU parking deck houses three levels for commuting students.

Certain blue lots are also open to students with yellow parking stickers after 4 p.m. Although there are more than five yellow lots for student parking, some students still report difficulty parking.

“There definitely is a parking problem,” Sledzinski said.

Sledzinski said the availability and cost of parking at NIU could be improved.

“The price for a yellow parking pass would be worth it, if you’re guaranteed to get a spot,” Sledzinski said.

For students who arrive on campus early, there are generally fewer problems finding areas to park.

“Depending on the time of day someone comes to campus, it is more difficult to find convenient parking, but there is parking available,” said Laura Lundelius, coordinator of parking and traffic.

Lundelius said that during peak times, it is easy for students to be discouraged, but she urged students to continue searching, as some lots are under-used.

“If a lot is full, they should go to another yellow lot. The under-utilized lots are lot K, L, 15E and X,” Lundelius said.

Students should be aware of what lots their passes allow them to park in. Parking in the wrong could result in a $40 fine.

Parking services offers a printable parking map through the NIU Web site.