In the first instance, the parent/applicant should check directly with
Queensland Transport (QT) to determine if a student is eligible for travel
assistance through the School Transport Assistance Scheme (STAS).
TO QUALIFY:
To qualify for the Bus Fare Assistance Progam, the following conditions must be met:
The family must spend more than the weekly threshold on fares. The weekly threshold for Semester One, 2012 is $20.00 per family ($15.00 per concession family, for those who hold a current Health Care, Pensioner or Veterans Affairs Pensioner card).
Students attend a school outside the Brisbane City Council boundary.
Students must not travel on a bus that is owned, leased or chartered by a school or a body associated with a school.
Boarding school students make a minimum of two journeys each week - one journey to and one journey from school each week. For example, a student may travel by bus to school on Sunday and return home by bus on Friday after school. The parent/applicant will receive a rebate calculated on two trips per week, utilising the QT issued School Transport Maximum Cash Fare Schedule (STMCFS).
If the bus operator charges greater than the fare, as set out in the STMCFS, NGSTAS will take into consideration only the costs up to the maximum fare as per the Schedule.
APPLICATIONS:
Parents/applicants of eligible students MUST submit their online application twice a year in:
May for Semester One
October for Semester Two
Receipt of your application is confirmed to you via email.
- LATE APPLICATIONS CANNOT BE ACCEPTED -
PROCESSING:
Once a parent/applicant has submitted an application, NGSTAS will contact the school and confirm the student's enrolment at that school and confirm attendance for the relevant semester.
Parents/applicants may be required to prove they have incurred the expenses claimed, therefore it is essential to retain evidence of expenditure such as receipts and tickets. Each semester a sample of parent/applicants will be selected and asked to provide that evidence.
PAYMENTS:
The rebate for a successful application is normally paid in the following semester. For example, if you submitted your application in October (for Semester Two), the rebate would generally be paid in Semester One of the following year. A rebate payment advice will be forwarded to you via email.
GUIDELINES:
The complete version of criteria and conditions applicable to this program can be downloaded via the following link, BFAP Guidelines Nov 2011
Please note the following variation to the Guidelines which comes into effect from 2012: All refunds of fares for students travelling on Translink services will be based on Go Card concession/ child fares.
TO APPLY:
Please click on the image below to apply for the Bus Fare Assistance Program:
