Within the next year, almost 20 million passports are expected to expire and come up for renewal following a 10-year period. 

Fortunately, local globetrotters can get ahead of any delays through Western Kentucky University’s Passport Services office. 

Marshall Gray, who directs the office, said the services aren’t limited to WKU students. Located in the Downing Student Union in room 69, Gray said the office can provide a quick turnaround on scheduling appointments and may be faster than waiting two weeks for availability at the local post office. 

“We can do same day or next day service for them as far as getting them in for an appointment,” he said. 

Gray described a passport as a person’s official documentation while traveling abroad. They help verify that a traveler is a U.S. citizen approved for travel.

They also come in different varieties with different prices. An adult passport book costs $110 with a $25 execution fee, and is needed for any kind of international airline travel. 

A passport card can be used for land and sea travel between the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda at land border crossings or ports of entry. Adults can buy them for $30 also with a $25 execution fee.

Rates for minors under the age of 16 are lower with passport books and cards costing $80 and $30, respectively, along with $25 execution fees for both.  

Melissa Hayden works as a passport specialist for WKU helping provide passports. 

“Right now my availability is fairly open for the summer,” she said. 

She said the State Department was thrilled when WKU got interested in providing services on campus because of the high demand in the area. 

“People just don’t know that we’re here,” she said. 

During a typical appointment, Gray said employees verify documentation to confirm the applicant’s identity. They usually require a driver’s license and certified birth certificate, meaning one from the Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics rather than a copy from a hospital. Getting one of those typically takes a week, he said. 

“Generally speaking, passports take four to six weeks,” Gray said. 

The office can further simplify the process by providing on-site photography for a $10 fee, according to its website. 

Katherine Hale, interim assistant director of Study Abroad and Global Learning, estimated that a majority of students studying abroad get their passports from the on-campus office. 

“All of the programs that we promote and recruit students for require passports,” she said. “A lot of first-time study abroad students don’t yet have a passport before they start making plans to study abroad.” 

Hale said that more than 100 students studied abroad last semester, and that the office sends more than 500 abroad annually. 

“I think it’s been very convenient for students to have the passport services here on campus,” she said. 

— For more information about WKU’s passport services, visit www.wku.edu/passport or call 270-745-4658. 

— Follow reporter Aaron Mudd on Twitter @aaron_muddbgdn or visit bgdailynews.com.