When you apply for your Cat Card, you will need to provide us with your student or employee identification number to verify your status at UC Merced. This information is needed because only students, faculty, staff, and some affiliates of UC Merced are eligible to receive a Cat Card. For employees and affiliated, this number will not appear on the face of your Cat Card, but it will be encoded electronically on your card, to be used for necessary UC Merced internal purposes only. The number will not be provided to outside entities without your prior consent.