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The School Opal card gives eligible school students free or subsidised travel on public transport between home and school on trains, buses, ferries and light rail in the Opal network. Find more information on Opal for primary and secondary school students .

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2022 School Travel Applications are now open

18 Oct 2021

2022 school travel applications are now open

Students who need a School Opal card or travel pass for 2022 can apply now. A new application will need to be submitted if they are applying for a school travel pass for the first time, or if they are requesting an additional travel entitlement as a result of a new shared parental responsibility situation (e.g. joint custody). 

Students who change address, school, campus location, or who have repeated a year or received an expiry notification from Transport for NSW for their school travel entitlement should renew or update their details before the end of term 4 . This will ensure that schools can endorse applications and current entitlements are updated and remain valid. School Opal card holders will have the changes applied to their existing card. 

If a student’s distance eligibility has changed based on their grade the system will automatically update their entitlement if they meet the new criteria. If they do not meet the new eligibility criteria, they will receive an expiry notification via email. 

Students who have an entitlement approved under a medical condition that is due to expire will receive a notification advising them to re-apply. 

Term Bus Pass holders will receive a notification to re-apply. 

Students in the Opal network applying for an Opal card (including a Term Bus Pass) for the first time will receive their Student Opal card at their nominated postal address. Cards will be mailed out from January 2022. 

Students living in rural and regional (R&R) areas should receive their travel pass at the start of the new school year from their nominated transport operator. It may come via the school or be sent directly to them at home. Note: some R&R operators do not issue travel passes. Students/parents should confirm with their nominated operator if they do not receive a pass. 

School Student Transport Scheme site change

On 1 October 2021 the School Student Transport Scheme (SSTS) information and application portal was moved to transportnsw.info. This will assist families to find all their travel information in the one place.

Travel from Term 1 2022

We ask that parents plan ahead and make sure their child knows which service/s to use and has a valid ticket to travel; either a School Opal card or Child/Youth Opal card (within Greater Sydney) or a School Travel Pass (outside Greater Sydney), from the start of the school year.

Applications for the School Student Transport Scheme (SSTS) open at the start of Term 4 2021 for travel in 2022, so parents/students can apply or update details early and be ready for the start of the new school year.

Most students using the Opal network will not need a new Opal card and can continue travelling on their existing card each year.

The start of the year is a difficult period for local bus operators, and students travelling without a valid ticket make service planning and operations increasingly difficult.

We recognise that for some families last minute changes to school enrolments mean they may not have a School Opal card or Travel Pass for the start of term. In the Opal network, we strongly encourage these families to have their children travel on a Child/Youth Opal card until they receive their valid School Opal card. If outside Greater Sydney, parents should contact their local bus operator to discuss their travel needs.

Bus operators are flexible and understanding, particularly at the start of the school year, and will ensure students can travel safely to and from school. But to best support our operators we encourage all students to have a valid ticket, as early as possible, from the start of the school year.

Please also remember that students using Opal cards must tap on and tap off in line with the Student code of conduct and Opal terms of use.

Further information can be found at  https://transportnsw.info/tickets-opal/ticket-eligibility-concessions/school-student-travel

Enquiries can be submitted at transportnsw.info/contact-us/feedback/passes-concessions-feedback 

2022 School Travel Application and transport

2022 School Travel Application and transport (PDF 115.74 KB)

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Travel Concessions with Opal Card

What is it?

The Concession Opal card allows eligible students to access fares at half the price of the Adult Opal card for travel on transport services including:

• All Sydney Trains
• All NSW TrainLink Intercity services
• All buses in Sydney, the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Hunter and Illawarra
• All Sydney Ferries and the Stockton Ferry in Newcastle

Please note: You must carry your UNSW student ID card at all times as proof of identity when travelling on your Concession Opal card.

Am I eligible?

According to Transport for NSW you're eligible to apply for a Concession Opal card if you are:

• Australian Citizen or Australian Permanent Resident
• Residing in New South Wales
• Full-time student enrolled on an internal basis (except where a person by reason of disability is enrolled on a part-time basis and/or on an external basis). The standard full-time enrolment load at UNSW is a minimum of 12 units of credit (UOC) per term.
• Students wishing to be considered full-time in the UNSW3+ Academic Calendar will need to enrol in a minimum of 12 Units of Credit (UOC) each term, or 36 UOC across Term 1, Term 2 and Term 3 with at least one course enrolment in each term.

Travelling outside the Opal network?

The Transport Concession Entitlement Card  allows eligible students to prove their eligibility to travel on a concession fare outside the Opal network including:

• Many rural and regional buses 
• NSW TrainLink Regional services

For more information and contact details visit transportnsw.info/tertiary-students .

Note on eligibility for:

If you are an International student you are not eligible for a concession unless you are in receipt of an approved Australian Government scholarship and enrolled full time.

The Australian Government Scholarships program, comprising of:

• The Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarships, funded by the Department of Education and training for full research scholarships
• The Endeavour Postgraduate Scholarships and Vocational Education and Training
• The Australian Awards (two scholarship streams) funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for full scholarships

Students undertaking cross-institutional studies

If you are a UNSW student undertaking cross institutional studies and your combined study load is equivalent to a full time study load you may be eligible for a concession. Please bring proof of your cross institutional enrolment to The Nucleus: Student Hub .

Students with a disability

If you are a student with a disability, studying part time, and you are registered with Disability Services you may be eligible for a concession. Please discuss this with your Disability Advisor .

How to apply

You will be required to give your consent for UNSW to provide details of your eligibility to Transport for NSW before you can apply for your Concession Opal card. Eligible students can provide their consent through myUNSW

Eligible students travelling outside the Opal zone will also need to will also need to to apply for a  Transport Concession Entitlement Card  to prove your eligibility to travel on a concession fare. 

Please allow 2 business days for your information to reach Transport for NSW, you can then apply for your Concession Opal card by visiting opal.com.au or calling 13 67 25 (13 OPAL).

Ensure that you have your student enrolment information to hand when applying and please enter your details, especially your name, exactly as they appear on your UNSW record.

Your card will be posted to your mailing address (5-7 days after your application is completed).

You will need to activate your card when it arrives.

Answers to FAQs

I lost my card, what should i do.

If you lose your Concession Opal card, please contact Opal directly on 13 67 25 (13 OPAL).

Will variation of full-time enrolment status affect eligibility?

Variations in your study load from part-time to full-time and vice versa which will affect your Concession Opal eligibility.

UNSW3+ Academic Calendar: If your study load in a single term drops from full time (12-18 UoC) to part time (less than 12 UoC) AND  you aren't enrolled in at least 36 UoC across Term 1, Term 2 and Term 3, you will no longer be eligible for the Concession Opal Card and your card will be cancelled. If you don't have an enrolment in a Term, you are not eligible for the Concession Opal Card in that Term.

UNSW Canberra ADFA Academic Calendar: If your study load in a semester drops from full time (18-24 UoC) to part time (less than 18 UoC) you will no longer be eligible for the Concession Opal Card and your card will be cancelled. 

My card has been cancelled, what should I do?

If your Concession Opal Card is cancelled you will need to apply for another Concession Opal card through the Opal website .

If you have any money left on your cancelled (invalid) card, you will then need to organise to have the  balance transferred to your new card.

You cannot reactivate a cancelled (invalid) Concession Opal card.

Should I apply for a new card if I've transferred from another institution?

If you have transferred to UNSW from another institution you will need to apply for a new Concession Opal card in the normal manner (see above). The Concession Opal card from your previous institution will be cancelled.

I can't apply for an Opal Concession card. What should I do?

Are you receiving an error message on the Opal website like ‘Your details do not match, please contact your Education Provider’?

This error usually occurs because the date of birth and name that you have input on the Opal website does not match the records UNSW has for you. The name you provide in your opal application must match your formal name on myUNSW exactly.

Click here to see your details on myUNSW then re-enter your details on the Opal website exactly as they appear on your myUNSW record.

Make sure to input your student ID number and set your Enrolment type to ‘Tertiary Student’ and Institution Name to ‘UNSW Australia’.

If you are still unable to apply, please contact The Nucleus: Student Hub .

Where to get help

If you are unsure about your enrolment status or want to confirm that you have opted in correctly to share your information, then  The Nucleus: Student Hub  can help.

If you have any other questions

If you have any other questions regarding the Concession Opal card then you will need to contact Opal directly although you may want to check out the Tickets and Opal page  first.

News and notices

Temporary myUNSW Outage Published:  9 Nov 2023

2024 Easter Holiday Long Weekend 29 Mar – 1 Apr 2024

Regional NSW student travel card welcome but concerns it misses first big move

The New South Wales opposition says it is "odd" the government's promised Regional Apprentice and University Student Travel Card will not be in the pockets of students until April.

Key points:

• The government announces plans to give all regional apprentices and uni students a $250 travel card
• The opposition says the April delivery for uni students misses the initial and most costly transfer
• NUS says students in Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong miss out

The government unveiled plans for the $250 prepaid debit card in last June's budget.

Shadow regional roads minister Jenny Aitchison said handing out the card in April meant many students would miss out on using the funds for their initial move out of home in time for starting TAFE or university.

"It seems quite odd that the trial, or commencement, won't start until April 2023, which is when students will have made some of their initial and most costly transfer to university," Ms Aitchison said.

"The first couple of months of a student's life is when they have to get tools, textbooks; they have to get themselves to their university.

"That is when they should be getting the support, not months later."

While allocating $59 million to the plan, more details were not revealed till October, when the government announced the prepaid debit card could be used on public transport, petrol, Opal card top-ups, taxi rides, electric charging stations and privately operated coaches.

It was modelled on the Regional Seniors Travel Card.

On Friday, the government announced 100 apprentices in Dubbo would be the first to trial the card from April.

To access the card, students must meet the following criteria:

• be from a regional area outside Greater Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong
• be aged between 16 and 66.5 years
• be either undertaking an apprenticeship or traineeship registered with Training Services NSW, or
• be undertaking an undergraduate university course that is full-time and face to face

"It's a great announcement, but there is not a lot of thought in how it's been implemented," Ms Aitchison said.

Delay for uni census

Regional Roads Minister Sam Farraway defended the timeline and said the card would be available when students needed it.

"Our apprentices will have their cards in their wallet spending it on public transport, spending at fuel stations, for getting to their TAFE campuses, by early March," Mr Farraway said.

"What I can say is we're unable to launch the university students at the same time [as TAFE students] because we need the census data and the enrolment phase to be completed for the applications to start."

Ms Aitchison said she was also concerned the absence of electronic ticketing on public transport in some country areas would mean the rollout would not work very well.

"You'll have students with cards that they can't use on public transport because there is no electronic ticketing but they'll be able to catch an uber or a taxi — it doesn't make sense," she said.

Ms Aitchison was also disappointed students from metro areas who decided to study at regional universities would miss out.

"They won't be eligible because their residential address will be in Sydney or in metro Newcastle or Wollongong," she said.

"We are concerned the government hasn't thought this through."

Mr Farraway said the card was designed to support regional students.

"It's all about backing in our regional uni students, our regional apprentices and trainees because they have a greater tyranny of distance to travel to do their studies and we're going to support them in that," he said.

Helpful but too late

The National Union of Students (NUS) said the card would be helpful but come too late for the up-front costs students faced with the start of the new year.

NUS president Bailey Riley said it was a shame it was not being made available to university students now.

"It doesn't seem to actually have that impact of helping students at the moment when the cost-of-living crisis is at its worst; it is very delayed," Ms Riley said.

"I grew up in Bathurst and I know how expensive it is to move to a city or to another regional campus; at that point [April] you are two months into your semester."

She said the NUS was also concerned metro areas were excluded.

"If it excludes Wollongong and Newcastle, public transport is not really that accessible in those areas and they would benefit from the help in any way."

Asked if the opposition would support the card, Labor said in a statement that it had supported the Regional Seniors Travel Card and wanted more details on how the card would be funded into the future.

On Friday, the government announced 100 apprentices in Dubbo would begin trialling the card ahead of its roll out for TAFE students in March.

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Travel concessions

As a student at the University you may be eligible to apply for a travel concession, giving you cheaper public transport fares.

Eligibility

Transport for NSW determine the eligibility for travel concessions .

Generally you are eligible if you are a:

• full-time enrolled student (18 credit points or more each semester)
• Australian citizen or permanent resident
• student with a NSW home address.

If you are enrolled in an exchange program where you pay your tuition fees to your home institution, you may also be eligible for a travel concession.

All other international students and New Zealand citizens are generally not eligible for transport concessions. Instead you’ll need to purchase an Adult Opal card for travel in the NSW Opal network.

In some circumstances, Australian Government scholarships entitle you to a transport concession. Find out if you’re eligible on the Transport for NSW website .

How to apply

During the enrolment task you will be asked to give consent for us to share your details with Transport for NSW. You will need to do this each time you re-enrol in your course.

You can also provide your consent at any time through Sydney Student (go to 'My details, 'Personal details').

Allow two business days for this information to reach Transport for NSW.

You’ll then need to apply for a Concession Opal card .

Once your eligibility is confirmed your Concession Opal card will be mailed to you within 5-7 working days.

When you have a Concession Opal card, you need to carry your student card with you as proof of your Concession Opal entitlement.

Apply for a Concession Opal Card

Have a question, i have been advised that my opal concession card will be blocked and need to check my eligibility.

Check your eligibility for Concession Opal Card

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Regional Rail Waste Collection Trial

Transport for NSW is trialling a new way to collect rubbish on regional train services as part of our commitment to reducing our environmental impact.

On select services, staff will be collecting passengers’ rubbish, using blue bags for general waste and yellow bags for recyclable waste. If passengers need to dispose of waste before these collections, they can still use the general waste bins available at the end of each carriage, or the small black rubbish bag that can be found in the front seat pocket. 

Cardboard trays from the buffet are reusable during passenger journeys and can be recycled on arrival at their destination.

Please see our general waste and recycling guide below.

Blue bags for general waste

• Hot beverage cups and lids (e.g coffee cups)
• Dirty food packaging
• Tissues, napkins and paper towels
• Soft plastics (easily scrunchable)
• Disposable cutlery

Yellow bags for recycling

• Empty bottles
• Clean paper
• Clean cardboard
• Clean hard plastics

If you would like to provide feedback on the trial or have suggestions on other ways we can minimise our environmental impact across our services, please complete the survey .