Frequently Asked Questions

There is no automatic entitlement to free home to school/college transport once a student is over 16. However, we will provide transport assistance for students who meet certain eligibility criteria. Post 16 students are required to make a contribution towards the cost of their transport. This year the charge will be £252 for the academic year.

You can apply for Post 16 transport assistance if you meet all of the following criteria:

Students who are transferring to a College of Further Education and who previously had a Statement of Special Educational Needs with transport provision included are advised to contact their selected college(s) who will be able to provide information, should transport continue to be required.

Apply NOW even if you are unsure whether you will continue in post 16 education. All transport for next year is planned and allocated through the summer months. To ensure your transport is available from the start of the autumn term, you must apply before the 28th June 2013.

We aim to process all applications received before the closing date by the 19th August 2013. Please don't contact us to track the progress of your application before the 19th August 2013 as this will only delay the allocation process.

Don’t worry if your course depends on GCSE results - apply anyway and return your travel pass to us if you don’t take up the course.

You can submit your transport application and arrange payment for it online. You can elect to either pay the transport fee in one lump sum or opt for a number of instalments. The number of instalments available will be dependent on the date of your application.

Applications received after 28th June 2013 will be treated as late and there is no guarantee that transport will be arranged before the start of the autumn term.

Forms received late, particularly in August and September could mean up to an 8 week wait for transport to be arranged. If this happens, you should be prepared to arrange and pay for your own transport initially. No refund of fares, expenses incurred or pro rata reduction of charges will be made for late applications.

The charge for the academic year 2013/2014 is £252.

You can pay online by credit/debit card. You can choose to pay the full charge in one lump sum or to pay in instalments. Please note we no longer accept Direct Debit as a method of payment.

Failure to complete payments for transport fees can result in pupils being excluded from school / college transport and from making any further transport applications. Any applications from applicants, or siblings of applicants, with an outstanding debt from a previous academic year will not be accepted until the previous debt is cleared.

Payment will be collected from the debit/credit card you register with us at the time of application, it is therefore very important that you ensure that there are sufficient funds available on the card to cover school transport payments. If you replace your credit/debit card or change bank accounts please contact The Customer Service Centre as soon as possible (0116 305 0002) to provide new card details

We reserve the right to ask for the full amount of the transport fee upfront (plus any outstanding monies from previous academic years) if you have previously persistently defaulted on school/college transport payments.

Please note the school transport charge is calculated on an annual basis and there will be no reduction for any periods when transport isn’t required e.g. exam leave or sickness, or for any occasion when due to unforeseen circumstances transport is not available e.g. snow days, vehicle breakdowns / lateness.

There will also be no reduction for any occasions when a student is excluded from transport temporarily as a result of their misbehaviour on school transport.

If you wish to pay the transport fee in instalments (recurring payments) please select this option when you apply There will be a maximum of 6 instalments available and payment must be completed by the end of February 2014. We will begin to collect payments after transport has been allocated. For applications received during the summer holidays, payments will commence on or about the 13th September 2013.You will be sent an email to let you know when the first payment will be taken from your account. Please note that the number of instalments available will be reduced if the application is received after the middle of September 2013.

*NB If your application is received after the 18th December 2013 the option to pay in instalments will be closed and we will only accept payment in full.

There are no exemptions from the charge for post 16 transport.

If you think you might struggle with the costs for full-time education or training you may be eligible for a bursary. More information can be found at:

Most students will be allocated a place on a school contract bus. On occasions where there is not a suitable school contract bus, we may issue passes for use on public bus services or (in exceptional circumstances) on trains or taxis.

In circumstances where none of the above options are available, we may pay a small mileage allowance for travel by private car. This allowance will be paid in arrears at the end of each term. For further advice on the availability of mileage allowances you can contact our Customer Service Centre on 0116 305 0002.

In some cases, where appropriate, we may utilise any spare capacity on our Special Educational Needs transport to accommodate mainstream students. In all cases, we will decide which transport option is the most appropriate to make the best use of the resources available to us. If you indicate a preferred route we will try to meet your request but cannot guarantee your preference if there is a lower cost alternative.

Please note that whilst we will endeavour to allocate transport from the nearest pick up point to home, this may not always be possible and we can expect a student to walk up to a mile to their pick up point (accompanied as necessary). The earlier we receive your application the better chance you will have of securing a place on your preferred contract bus, but this cannot be guaranteed.

All applicants should check all the alternative costs, including those of public bus operators’ passes for use on local services, to ensure that they are purchasing the best value transport before completing and submitting a transport application form. If you would like more information about public bus or train services in your area, please contact Traveline East Midlands on 0871 200 2233, or visit their website at:

You may also refer to individual bus operators' websites where you will find information about the availability of multi-journey or season passes for use on their services.

Once we have your application form, we will determine whether or not you are entitled to assisted transport. If you are not entitled we will send you a letter explaining why and we will not charge any money to your credit/debit card. Please note, if your child is moving into their second year of post 16 transport and has changed courses since the original transport application, we will have to re-assess eligibility and it may be that your child is subsequently assessed as not entitled to school/college transport.

When you receive your pass you will need to seal a recent passport - sized photograph of yourself (student) into it to validate it for use.

School Contract bus passes are valid only on the named contract route and at the times stated on the timetable that will be sent with your pass.

Public service bus passes are valid for one return journey per day (during term time) between the points specified on the pass and on journeys operated by the bus company specified on the pass.

School passes cannot be used outside of term time or at weekends.

Please note, we do not provide transport for induction days, for work placements or for after school activities. We also cannot cater for individual variation in timetables.

If you lose your pass you can apply for a replacement pass online by clicking here.

Alternatively you can contact your school / college, or call our Customer Service Centre on 0116 305 0002 for further advice. There is a £10 charge for a replacement pass.

If you no longer require transport, you should notify us immediately as we may be able to offer a refund. If you have been issued with a bus pass, you must return it to us (by recorded delivery) with a covering letter as any refund will only be calculated from the date that we receive the pass. Refunds will not be considered for passes returned after the end of February 2014

If you have changed address / school you must let us know as soon as possible as this may affect your eligibility to assisted transport.

For general advice, contact our Customer Service Centre on 0116 305 0002

(Monday - Friday 8.30am - 5pm). Email: customerservices@leics.gov.uk

Or write to:

Customer Service Centre (E&T),

Leicestershire County Council,

County Hall, Glenfield, Leicester LE3 8SR

For further information on entitlement to transport assistance Leicestershire County residents can visit our School/ College Transport Entitlement web page; contact our Customer Service Centre as above, or email Transportassessments@leics.gov.uk

If you live in the City of Leicester, please contact: Children and Young People's Services at Leicester City Council on 0116 252 7009.