Student subsidised travel
The Student Subsidised Travel Scheme provides travel assistance to school and tertiary students.
There are two main types of assistance:
To be eligible for either type of assistance, students must either be an Australian citizen or hold a permanent residency visa and meet certain eligibility criteria.
For more information on the Student Subsidised Travel Scheme, contact by email the Department's Travel Subsidy Officer or telephone 9216 8759.
Attending school outside the Define Remote Area
A fares allowance is provided to those students living within the Defined Remote Area but who elect to attend a recognised school, college or university outside the Defined Remote Area.
The Student Subsidised Travel Scheme provides the following travel assistance between home and school by regular passenger transport (air, bus or rail):
- primary and secondary students with 4 return trips per calendar year;
- first year tertiary students, under 20 years of age, who have not previously accessed the Student Subsidised Travel Scheme, to receive 4 return trips per calendar year;
- first year tertiary students, under 20 years of age, who have previously accessed the Student Subsidised Travel Scheme, to receive 3 return trips per calendar year;
- all other tertiary students to receive 2 return trips per calendar year.
Free travel is limited to the cost of the fare for the most direct route between home and Perth. Any additional cost must be borne by the parents.
A special exemption is made for students attending agricultural colleges, School of Mines or other approved specialised education centre - these students are subsidised for the full journey.
A fares allowance is also provided to escorts of eligible students who are unable to travel alone due to a disability.
The following students living within the Defined Remote Area are not eligible for the subsidy:
- 26 years of age or older;
- receiving Youth Allowance (applies to tertiary students only) or is an Abstudy approved boarder; or
- if only one parent lives in the Defined Remote Area, and the student primarily resides with a parent in the town/city where he or she attends school/college.
If you are not eligible for assistance under the Student Subsidised Travel Scheme, contact Centrelink for transport assistance information.
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School of Isolated and Distance Education
The Student Subsidised Travel Scheme entitles students attending the School of Isolated and Distance Education to 3 return journeys to Perth during the 2 years of their post-compulsory study. Students can receive 1 return trip in Year 11 and up to 2 return trips in Year 12. Students must apply through the School of Isolated and Distance Education for their travel entitlement.
Eligibility for the Scheme is based on satisfying all of the following criteria:
- the student is dependent on their parents (ie does not have full-time employment)
- the student lives with their parents
- the parents' home is situated within the Defined Remote Area, as determined by the Scheme
- the student must be studying at least 3 subjects with the School of Isolated and Distance Education
How to apply for the Student Subsidised Travel Scheme
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Road Travel Subsidy
A Road Travel Subsidy (18.68¢/km) may be payable for students who need to travel more than 56 km to:
- the nearest appropriate government school with boarding facilities offering classes in the grade or year in which the students are enrolled; or
- the nearest regular passenger transport or school bus service operating between the student's home and school;
- whichever is the closer.
If, for example, a parent were required to travel a round trip distance of 500 km, the subsidy payable would be calculated on 388 km:
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example: |
| 500 kms - 112 ms (56 kms x 2) = 388 kms |
| 388 kms x 0.1868 cents = $72.48 |
Parents who are unable to secure a seat on a regular passenger transport service and choose to transport their children in their own vehicle may apply for reimbursement of travel costs. In such cases, the Road Travel Subsidy will not exceed the cost of the approved regular passenger transport fare.
If students from more than one family are travelling together, only the parent operating the vehicle may claim the Road Travel Subsidy. A maximum of 8 round trips per child per year can be claimed.
Claims should only be submitted after the travel has taken place.
For students living in the Defined Remote Area of Western Australia and receiving travel vouchers under the Student Subsidised Travel Scheme, each application for Road Travel Subsidy must coincide with an approved trip.
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