Student Pass is available to all middle schools and high schools. The minimum purchase is five Student Passes per quarter.
Student Passes are valid for unlimited rides on any regional bus or train and cost $97 per quarter. For fares above $3.25 (for example, select Northstar fares) stored value is required to cover the additional fare.
If your school doesn't have a transportation program or funding for your current option is being cut, Student Pass can provide students with reliable transportation for a fraction of the cost of yellow school buses, and students receive unlimited rides for one low price.
To participate in the Student Pass program, complete the application:
How it works for the Student Pass user
Sign the Metro Transit Code of Conduct
The student must agree to Metro Transit’s Code of Conduct to use the pass. Any violations of the Code can result in pass deactivation by the school administrator or Metro Transit. Often schools include addenda to Metro Transit’s Code of Conduct, such as policies about pass use if the student is truant repeatedly.
Carry valid student ID with photo
A valid student ID must be presented when riding. The photo ID allows Metro Transit Police to determine validity and prevents fraudulent use by someone other than the student.
Validate the ride
Users must validate each ride by touching a Student Pass to a card reader every time they board a bus or train. Without validation, the ride is not counted, and Metro Transit Police cannot verify that the pass is active and valid. Metro Transit reserves the right to deactivate the pass of any student who does not comply with fare policy.
Take care of the pass
For details on how the card works and how to take care of it, read the User's Guide.
How it works for the school administrator
Each school assigns an administrator to manage the Student Pass account. This is done through an online administrator site, which makes it easy to track current passes and students, temporarily suspend or cancel passes, issue replacement passes, and manage billing information.
At the beginning of the school year, the school administrator receives Student Passes that are ready to be issued; they are already valid for unlimited rides on buses and trains so it is very important to track every pass. The school will be billed for each pass that is in use after the initial purchase or in subsequent billings.
Upon acceptance to the program, you will be sent an email invitation to set up your access to the online administrator site.
Once you have access, begin distributing Student Passes and recording which pass was given to each student. A first and last name is required for each pass distributed to ensure proper billing.
Canceling passes
If a student's pass is no longer needed, promptly deactivate it to avoid paying for an additional quarter.
Replacing lost, stolen, or defective passes
If a student's pass is lost or stolen, the administrator should deactivate the old pass and issue a replacement from the initial shipment. If you do not have any unissued cards, place an order for additional cards to be kept in inventory.
A $5 fee will be charged for a replacement pass unless the pass is deemed defective (it has no apparent physical damage and cannot be read properly). Defective passes must be returned to Metro Transit for verification as soon as possible. A credit will be issued to the school at the end of the billing period for the total number of deactivated passes that were replaced. The credit amount is the difference between the cost of the pass and the replacement fee (for example: $97 less $5 replacement fee = $92 credit).
Suspending passes
An administrator can temporarily suspend a student’s pass. There is no replacement fee because a new pass is not issued.
Payment information
The school is invoiced four times per year or when additional pass orders are submitted; each pass costs $97 per quarter. At the end of each quarter, the administrator downloads an "active pass" report from the administrator site. The administrator verifies the list of active passes and indicates which passes have not been issued (these should be noted by those without names assigned) and cancel any passes as necessary. Prior to the billing cycle, you will be reminded via email, to confirm the number of cards currently issued/registered. If no confirmation is received, we will invoice you for the total number of cards active under your account.
Billing Cycle 2023 - 2024
Q1 8/21/2023 - 11/1/2023
Q2 11/2/2023 - 1/14-2024
Q3 1/15/2024 - 3/31/2024
Q4 4/1/2024 - 6/14/2024
After June 18, the school must return any unassigned passes to Metro Transit. Metro Transit will then issue a credit of $97 for each pass returned. Returns must be received no later than July 15.
Sample Billing
Metro Transit sends ‘School A’ 100 Student Passes based on the administrator’s estimated demand. School A issues 90 passes during the first week of classes.
Q1 Billing: $9,700 (100 passes x $97)
During Q1, School A issues three additional passes to new students. At the end of Q1, the administrator site indicates there are 93 assigned passes.
Q2 Billing: $9,021 (93 cards x $97)
During Q2, a student at School A loses his card. A replacement is issued from the original shipment and the original pass is canceled (deactivated). No other changes occur.
Q3 Billing: $9,021 (93 cards x $97)
A separate credit is applied to the account for $92 ($97 – replacement fee $5) During Q3, two new students enroll in the program.
Q4 Billing: $9,215 (95 passes x $97)
No changes occur during Q4. At the end of the quarter, there are four passes remaining from the original shipment (one was used to replace a lost pass). The administrator returns the four passes by July 15. Metro Transit issues a refund or credit in the amount of $388 (4 passes x $97).