Post16 travel scheme cost and payment options

Refunds for transport due to school and college closures

Refunds for after Christmas

We shall be automatically refunding any transport contributions made to cover the first half term whilst students are at home and no transport is happening. These funds will go back into your account automatically, however, this may take a few weeks. We apologise for the delay but we are doing our best to process these as quickly as possible.

Payment Requests and Refunds after February half-term

We still do not know the planned return of schools and colleges after half term. The Department for Education will advise us further on the 22 February how any return will look from the 8 March. Because of this uncertainty we will currently not be issuing any refunds or requesting further contributions for after half term. Further updates will be added to our website as soon as we know more information.

If you are still traveling in, although on a reduced timetable, you will not be eligible for a refund.

Coronavirus

Visit our coronavirus updates page for the latest health advice and information about disruptions to services and events, including school closures.

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 will pay a reduced rate if you are receiving qualifying benefits - information below.

On some routes, students can also choose to use a daily pass and pay in cash on the bus.

Please note some colleges choose to subsidise our transport charges. If you are planning to attend Gorleston, East Norfolk Sixth Form College or Great Yarmouth, East Coast College, 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.

No financial contribution towards transport will be required for students who have an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan, who are in years 15 and above (i.e. usually the year in which they are 19 years old). Free transport will continue for these students up to the end of the year in which they become 25 years old, as long as they continue to have an EHC plan.

You can apply to start using post16 transport at any time. When paying in full, or in three instalments, the amount you’ll need to pay will be reduced after each half term.

If you pay for transport 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 e.g. taxis, as contracts with operators will need to be renewed.

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

If your travel pass is lost, stolen or damaged, you can apply for a replacement pass. There is a £10 admin charge.

How to pay

Tell us how you want to pay when you apply for transport. 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.

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 have it, 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.

Qualifying low income benefits

You can apply for a 25% reduction in school transport charges, if you’re receiving any of the following benefits:

Income support
Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
Employment and Support Allowance (income related)
Guaranteed pension credit
Universal Credit (where earnings element less than £7,400 annually)
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

When you apply, you must include a scan or photocopy of a recent letter from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) showing that you are entitled to one of the benefits listed above.

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 travel

Ask student support at the sixth form or college for information about the 16-19 Bursary Fund, a scheme to help young people 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.

Cost and payment options 2020-21

Option 1: Annual / one-off payment

Pay in full at the start of the year: £552.

If you’re receiving a qualifying benefit you will pay a reduced amount of £414.

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

For Gorleston, East Norfolk Sixth Form College the full yearly cost is £345

For Great Yarmouth, East Coast College the full yearly cost is £276

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

Option 2: Three instalments paid before each term

Pay three instalments of £184 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 £138 per term.

Instalment amounts and when they are due
Term	Full amount	Reduced amount	To be paid before
Autumn term	£184	£138	When requested
Spring term	£184	£138	14 December 2020
Summer term	£184	£138	26 March 2021
Total amount	£552	£414

If you start to use school transport after a half-term holiday, you will pay £92 (or the reduced charge of £69) 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 Gorleston, East Norfolk Sixth Form College the termly cost is £115

For Great Yarmouth, East Coast College the termly cost is £92

The same termly instalment dates are required, as above, for both East Norfolk Sixth Form College and East Coast College.

If you start to use school transport after a half-term, you will pay half of the above rates for the rest of that term and then the full amount for the remaining term, or terms.

Option 3: Six instalments, paid before each half term

Pay six instalments of £92 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.

Instalment amounts and when they are due
Half term	Full amount	Reduced amount	To be paid before
Autumn 1 half term	£92	£69	When requested
Autumn 2 half term	£92	£69	15 October 2020
Spring 1 half term	£92	£69	14 December 2020
Spring 2 half term	£92	£69	8 February 2021
Summer 1 half term	£92	£69	26 March 2021
Summer 2 half term	£92	£69	24 May 2021
Total amount	£552	£414

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 Gorleston, East Norfolk Sixth Form College the half-termly cost is £57.50

For Great Yarmouth, East Coast College the half-termly cost is £46

The same half-termly instalment dates are required, as above, for both East Norfolk Sixth Form College and East Coast College.

Daily fare passes

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

The standard charge per day is £3.10.

If you’re receiving a qualifying benefit you’ll pay £2.60 per day.

The passes are issued for the full academic year. However, at the end of each term you will be sent a renewal email or letter asking you to confirm if you wish to continue as a daily fare payer. Make sure you add educationtransport@norfolk.gov.uk to your ‘safe senders list’.

Please remember to inform us if you change your email address as we shall require a response - If you do not confirm that you wish to continue using your daily payer pass, this will be cancelled remotely and no longer valid for travel. If at this point you do require a pass a £10 replacement fee would be required.