You will qualify for free travel assistance if:

• you live in Worcestershire.
• you are 4 years old or over on 1 September
• are attending the designated or nearest school (or the nearest designated school if you live in a joint catchment area) for your home address – use the Designated School Search to search by postcode
• you live over the statutory walking distance from your designated or nearest school – 2 miles for pupils up to 8 years or 3 miles for pupils over 8 years, measured by the shortest available walking route
• if you reside in an area that has joint catchment schools, we will consider transport assistance to the closest school via walking distance

You may also qualify for free travel assistance if the following applies:

Low income

• you live in Worcestershire

You can provide recent evidence of receipt of one of the following benefits:

• Income Support - latest benefit letter, dated within the last 12 months (mandatory)
• Income Based Job Seekers Allowance - latest benefit letter, dated within the last 12 months (mandatory)
• Free School Meals - latest benefit letter, dated within the last 12 months (non-mandatory) if this is not available we can check eligibility with the Free School Meals Team
• Maximum Working Tax Credit - current year Tax Credit Award letter, showing £0 deduction due to income on the Working Tax Credit calculation (usually page 4) (mandatory)
• Universal Credit - provided you have an annual net earned income of no more that £7,400 – last 3 UC statements showing the Take Home Pay figure (you may need to expand the basic statement to see this figure, by clicking on “Other Support you may get”) (mandatory)

The school you are applying for transport to falls into one of these catagories:

• primary school aged pupils (years 0 to years 6) - you live between 2 and 3 miles from the designated or nearest school    
• high school aged pupils (years 7 to years 11) -  you are attending one of the 3 nearest schools, between 2 and 6 miles OR
• denominational high school aged pupils - attending the nearest denominational school, between 2 and 15 miles and can provide a baptism certificate or Priest's letter of support 

Unsafe route

• you live in Worcestershire
• you are attending your designated or nearest school for your home address.
• you live under the 2 or 3 mile statutory walking distance from school, but the route is assessed as unavailable for walking, by Worcestershire County Council's Road Safety Officer

School has been redesignated by Pupil Admissions

• you live in Worcestershire
• your designated or nearest school did not have a place available for you when you applied, and you have been allocated the next nearest school with available spaces by Pupil Admissions (not just parental preference)
• you live over the 2 or 3 mile statutory walking distance from school

Apply online for travel assistance

Please note that applications for the new academic year need to be received by 31 of July, to guarantee transport for the start of term in September. Please submit an application, even if you have not had your place confirmed at this time, as this can always be amended or cancelled if your situation changes.  

We can provide travel assistance to full-time students continuing into further education. All over 16 students will be required to make a contribution towards transport. 

You will qualify for over 16 travel assistance if:

• you live in Worcestershire
• you are under 19 when the course commences
• you are attending the Sixth Form of your designated school or the establishment that is nearest to your home address that offers the level of course, not the course subject itself
• you live more than 3 miles from the school or college
• the appropriate contribution has been paid

You may also qualify for over 16 travel assistance if:

Unsafe route

• you live in Worcestershire
• you are under 19 when the course commences
• you are attending the Sixth Form of your designated school or the establishment that is nearest to your home address that offers the level of course, not the course subject itself
• you live under the 2 or 3 mile statutory walking distance from school or college, but the route is assessed as unavailable for walking, by Worcestershire County Council's Road Safety Officer
• the appropriate contribution has been paid

Paying for over 16 travel assistance

All over 16 students will be required to pay a contribution towards travel assistance:

• you will be sent a payment letter once transport is allocated
• payment can be made annually, termly, half termly or by Direct Debit at the start of the Autumn and Spring terms
• financial support with the cost of remaining in education may be available through a Student Bursary, through your Sixth Form or College; please contact them directly to see what help may be available

Types of travel assistance available

You will be considered for the following types of transport, which will be allocated by the Education Travel Team:

• Contract Vehicles (School Buses)
• Severn Card Scheme
• Vacant Seat Scheme (non entitled students)

Apply online for travel assistance

If you do not qualify for free under 16 or do not qualify for over 16 travel assistance, you can still apply and we will automatically consider you for either:

• Vacant Seat Scheme
• Severn Card Scheme
• Bus travel

However, these schemes will require a contribution and you will be sent a payment letter if we are able to offer you a seat.