What Are My Public Transport Options as a Student?

 Life Hacks 
We’ve got a state-by-state breakdown of your public transport options 👊
By Emma Ruben  •

Heading back to school, TAFE, college or uni and want to know what your public transport options are?

We’ve broken down public transport options for students on a state-by-state basis so you can easily find out how to get to class on time.

New South Wales.

Students aged 4-15 years old can travel with a concession fare using a child/youth Opal card. Full-time students aged 16 years old and older can hold a transport concession entitlement card and pay concession fares.

School students in NSW can apply for a school travel pass or School Opal card. To qualify you need to be:

  • A NSW resident or an overseas student eligible for free government education.
  • Be aged 4 years and 6 months, or older.
  • Live a minimum distance from your school – this varies depending on the grade the student is enrolled in that calendar year.

TAFE or tertiary students are also able to apply for a concession Opal card. To qualify you need to be:

  • An Australian citizen or permanent resident.
  • Living in NSW.
  • Enrolled in an Australian Qualifications Framework, accredited higher education or vocational education and training course.
  • A full-time student enrolled on an internal basis (except where a person, by reason of disability, is enrolled on a part-time basis and/or on an external basis)

For more information head to the Service NSW webpage.

Victoria.

Students in Victoria can apply for a student pass if they are full-time primary or secondary students living in Victoria. To qualify you also need to be:

  • A full-time primary or secondary student living in Victoria.
  • A full-time student at a Victorian primary or secondary school.
  • A primary or secondary student approved by the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority to be home-schooled.
  • A full-time VCE, VCAL, or Victorian Pathways Certificate (VPC) student studying at a university or TAFE that is listed on the PTV website.

Options for student passes include a Victorian Student Pass and a Regional Student Pass.

If you’re a tertiary student living in Victoria you could be eligible for a concession Myki. And if you are an international student, you can apply for an International Student Travel Pass and save 50 per cent.

Unfortunately, postgraduate and part-time students aren’t eligible for concession fares.

For more information head to the Public Transport Victoria website.

Australian Capital Territory.

A reduced fare through a student MyWay card is available for primary students and full-time high school and college students.

To get a Student MyWay card you must present a primary, high school or college student identification card, issued by a school in Australia and lists your name, date of birth, photo and full-time status.

Under the ACT’s Student Transport Program, eligible primary, high school and college students can travel for free on Transport Canberra services from Monday to Friday during the school term with a MyWay card.

Full time students attending university and CIT may also be eligible for tertiary MyWay cards and concession bus fares.

For more information head to the Transport Canberra website.

South Australia.

Students can access concession rates on public transport as long as they carry a student identification card from their school or tertiary education.

To find out if you qualify the South Australian government have an eligibility checker you can take.

For more information head to the South Australian government website.

Western Australia.

Primary and secondary students in WA with a Student SmartRider can travel for free on Transperth services for free from Monday and Friday.

They must tag on and off with their SmartRider to qualify.

Full-time tertiary students can also apply for a tertiary concession. You must be:

  • Enrolled in full-time studies at a Western Australian University or TAFE College, or
  • A secondary school student attending school in the year you turn 19 or older, or
  • An interstate primary or secondary school student.

The Transperth website details how students at each tertiary institution can apply for a Tertiary SmartRider through their website.

For more information head to the Transperth website.

Northern Territory.

If you’re a student living in the NT, you’ll have access to discounted or free bus travel.

As a primary or secondary school student, you could qualify for free travel if you have a student ID card issued in the Northern Territory.

Similarly, if you are a tertiary or VET student with a student ID card issued in the NT you could be entitled to a concession fare.

The NT government have an eligibility checker for students to see if they qualify for a free or concession fare.

For more information head to the Northern Territory government website.

Queensland.

If you’re a student aged 15 years or older in Queensland you’ll be eligible for a concession fare. To qualify, you must:

  • Carry an approved Queensland student photo ID card, or
  • Wear an official Queensland school uniform.

And if you’re an eligible full-time university, TAFE or post-secondary student in Queensland you can apply to receive concession fare too.

If it's your first time entering tertiary education, you will need to apply for a concession fare through the Translink website.

For more information head to the Queensland Translink website.

Tasmania.

Student fares in Tasmania apply to:

  • Children between five and 16 years old.
  • Full-time students up to the end of the year in which they turn 18, while they attend:
    • Primary or secondary school, senior secondary college, TasTafe, university or Tasmanian College of English.

Some students may be able to travel on school buses for free under the Student Bus Pass for Free Travel.

And some full-time adult students may be issued a Special Circumstance Student Greencard based on their circumstances.

For more information head to the Metro Tasmania website.