Post16 travel scheme cost and payment options

For the academic year (September - July) there are three different options when paying in advance for post16 transport:

Pay the full amount
Pay in three instalments, one for each term
Pay in six instalments, one for each half term

You can get a discount towards transport costs if you are receiving certain benefits - information below.

College discounts

Some colleges offer discounts on our transport charges. If you are planning to attend Gorleston, East Norfolk Sixth Form College, Great Yarmouth, East Coast College, or the College of West Anglia, King's Lynn you will pay a reduced rate or nothing at all if you are on low income - see below for our costs and payment options and low income benefit details.

For further information about discounts please contact the college direct.

Daily payer pass

On some routes covered by local bus services, instead of paying in full for the year or in instalments you can choose to use a daily payer pass and pay a reduced fare on the bus each time you use it.

The passes are issued for the full academic year.

At the end of each term you will be sent a renewal email or letter asking you to confirm if you wish to continue using your pass. Make sure you add educationtransport@norfolk.gov.uk to your 'safe senders list'.

You must let us know if you change your email address. If we do not hear back from you we will cancel the pass remotely and it will no longer be valid for travel. If you still need to use your pass after it's been cancelled, you need to pay a £13 replacement fee.

Paying in instalments

You'll need to pay at least 10 working days before the expiry date shown on the card. This is so we can get a new card to you in plenty of time.

This also applies to other travel arrangements eg taxis, as contracts with operators will need to be renewed.

We do not send reminders, so keep a record of the dates listed below.

Starting part way through the school year

You can apply to start using post16 transport at any time throughout the school year. When paying in full you will be charged for the current and remaining half terms up to the end of the school year.

If you wish to pay per term and apply midway through the term you will be charged the half termly rate and then pay the full amount for the remaining term or terms.

Please consider when you apply for a pass how long your pass will be valid. For example, if you apply before the last 3 weeks of term your pass will only be valid until the end of that term. If you apply within the last 3 weeks we will carry over your pass into the next half term or term.

Qualifying low income benefits

You can apply for a 25% discount on transport charges if you receive any of the following benefits:

Income support
Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
Income related Employment and Support Allowance
The guaranteed element of Pension Credit
Universal Credit - with an annual earned income of no more than £7,400 after tax
Support under Part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
The maximum level of Working Tax Credit (where reduction due to income is 0.00)
Child Tax Credit if not entitled to a Working Tax Credit, when your annual income (as assessed by HM Revenue & Customs) is less than £16,190

Download an example of a qualifying/non-qualifying Working Tax Credit (PDF, 1 MB)

When you apply, you must include a scan, photocopy or screenshot of a recent letter or email from the Department for Works and Pensions (DWP) showing that you are entitled to one of the benefits listed above. We cannot accept a copy of your bank statement showing payments. If you don't have a letter or email, you will need to contact the DWP to ask for proof.

If you only have a Tax Credit Annual Review Notice for the current financial year, because you notified the DWP that your circumstances haven't changed since your last full Tax Credit Award, you must send a photocopy or scan of all the following information:

Your original Tax Credit Award
Your Annual Review notice
Your written or emailed confirmation that you have informed the DWP that your circumstances have not changed since your last full Tax Credit Award

Make sure you send us scanned copies or photocopies of documents. We can't return any original documents and anything you send us will be securely destroyed.

What to do if you can't afford to pay for transport

Ask student support at your sixth form or college for information about the 16-19 Bursary Fund. This is a scheme to help young people who are facing financial hardship stay in full time education.

Students most in need will be eligible for a bursary of £1,200 a year.

This includes:

Young people in care and those who are leaving care
Young people receiving income support
Disabled young people receiving both Employment Support Allowance and Disability Living Allowance

Other students who want to stay in education but need financial support may be able to claim money to help with transport, food, equipment or other course-related costs.

For more information and advice about the 16-19 Bursary go to www.direct.gov.uk/16-19bursary. Young parents - Care to Learn (C2L) can help pay for travel costs for learners aged 19 and under at the start of their course. Learning providers can support young people to apply for C2L - further details are available at www.gov.uk/care-to-learn (opens new window).

Students with an education, health and care plan (EHCP)

There is no entitlement to free transport for students with an EHCP when they turn 16.

But once they enter year 15 - usually the school year in which they turn 19 - they will be eligible for free transport until age 25, as long as they continue in education or training, and still have an EHCP.

Check the other sections on this page as you may be eligible for other help with transport costs from age 16, for example if you receive certain benefits, are on a low income, or if your college offers a discount.

How to pay

Tell us how you want to pay when you Apply for the post 16 travel scheme. Do not send any money with your application, we will ask for payment once we've processed it.

You can pay by credit/debit card, by cheque or by postal order.

The payment request will show the duration of travel you are applying for, but it is not possible at this payment request stage to tell you the exact travel arrangement we are offering.

Online

You can pay for post16 transport online. You will need your customer reference number and child's date of birth. If you don't know your customer reference number you can find it by using our travel pass search form.

By telephone

Use our 24-hour automated telephone payment line and pay by debit or credit card.

By post

Alternatively you can send a cheque or postal order, together with the remittance slip enclosed with your original letter, to:

Travel and Transport
Norfolk County Council
Norwich
NR1 2DH

Cheques should be made payable to Norfolk County Council and have the student's name and customer reference number written on the back.

Cost and payment options 2024-25

Option 1: Annual / one-off payment

Pay in full at the start of the year: £612

If you're receiving a qualifying benefit you will pay a reduced amount of £459

We will send you a travel pass, if required, to cover the whole year once we have received your payment.

For Great Yarmouth, East Coast College the full yearly cost is £306.

For Gorleston, East Norfolk Sixth Form College the full yearly cost is £372.

If you're attending both Great Yarmouth, East Coast College or Gorleston, East Norfolk Sixth Form College and you're receiving a qualifying benefit you will pay no contribution.

For students attending the College of West Anglia, King's Lynn, if you are in receipt of a qualifying benefit and are eligible under our post-16 discretionary scheme the college will fund your contribution.

If you are not in receipt of low income you will pay our full rate, see above.

For further information about discounts please contact the colleges direct.

Option 2: Three instalments, paid before each term

Pay three instalments of £204 each. The first one before the beginning of the school year, the next two before the beginning of the spring and summer terms.

If you're receiving a qualifying benefit you'll pay a reduced amount of £153 per term.

Instalment amounts and when they are due

Autumn term

Full amount: £204
Reduced amount: £153
To be paid before: when requested

Spring term

Full amount: £204
Reduced amount: £153
To be paid before: 16 December 2024

Summer term

Full amount: £204
Reduced amount: £153
To be paid before: 6 April 2025

Total amount: £612

Reduced amount: £459

If you start to use school transport after a half-term holiday, you will pay £102 (or the reduced charge of £76.50) for the rest of that term and then the full amount for the remaining term, or terms.

We will send you a new travel pass, if required, as each instalment is paid.

If you are in taxi transport this will stop if the contribution is not received.

For Great Yarmouth, East Coast College the termly cost is £102.

For Gorleston, East Norfolk Sixth Form College the termly cost is £124.

If you're attending both Great Yarmouth, East Coast College or Gorleston, East Norfolk Sixth Form College and you're receiving a qualifying benefit you will pay no contribution.

If you are not in receipt of low income you will pay our full rate, see above.

For further information about discounts please contact the colleges direct.

Option 3: Six instalments, paid before each half term

Pay six instalments of £102 each. The first one before the beginning of the school year or during the first half term, and the following before each half term holiday.

If you're receiving a qualifying benefit you'll pay a reduced amount of £76.50 per half term.

Instalment amounts and when they are due

Autumn 1 half term

Full amount: £102
Reduced amount: £76.50
To be paid before: when requested

Autumn 2 half term

Full amount: £102
Reduced amount: £76.50
To be paid before: 21 October 2024

Spring 1 half term

Full amount: £102
Reduced amount: £76.50
To be paid before: 16 December 2024

Spring 2 half term

Full amount: £102
Reduced amount: £76.50
To be paid before: 10 February 2025

Summer 1 half term

Full amount: £102
Reduced amount: £76.50
To be paid before: 6 April 2025

Summer 2 half term

Full amount: £102
Reduced amount: £76.50
To be paid before: 19 May 2025

Total amount: £612

Reduced amount: £459

We'll send you a new travel pass, if required, as each instalment is paid.

If you are in taxi transport this will stop if the contribution is not received.

For Great Yarmouth, East Coast College the half termly cost is £51.

For Gorleston, East Norfolk Sixth Form College the half termly cost is £62.

If you're attending both Great Yarmouth, East Coast College or Gorleston, East Norfolk Sixth Form College and you're receiving a qualifying benefit you will pay no contribution.

If you are not in receipt of low income you will pay our full rate, see above.

For further information about discounts please contact the colleges direct.

Daily payer pass 2024-25

Post16 students can use a daily fare pass on some routes to pay on the bus every day.

The standard charge per day is £3.50.

If you're receiving a qualifying benefit you'll pay £3 per day.