Transport for London18+ student scheme
The 2008/2009 18+ Student Oyster photocard scheme closes on 31 July. Applications for the 2009/2010 18+ Student Oyster photocard scheme open on 1 September. If your 18+ Student Oyster photocard has been lost or stolen, you can apply for a replacement by visiting photocard.tfl.gov.uk, or calling 0845 331 9872*. You will need to pay a non-refundable fee of £5.
An 18+ Student Oyster photocard offers students the opportunity to spend less on travel in and around London.
The scheme has been developed by TfL and National Rail with the support of the University of London Union, the National Union of Students and other educational establishments in London.
An 18+ Student Oyster photocard entitles the holder to buy student-rate Travelcards and Bus & Tram Pass season tickets valid for 7 days, one month or longer periods of up to one year, which cost 30 per cent less than adult-rate season tickets.
Credit can also be added to an 18+ Student Oyster photocard to pay as you go at the adult rate, which are cheaper than paying cash.
Single, daily, 3 Day tickets and Oyster single fares (pay as you go) are not available at student rate. If you live near your school or college or only make a few journeys you can get a standard Oyster card and pay as you go at adult rate.
Find out more about:
Who is eligible?
To be eligible for the 18+ Student Oyster photocard, you must be aged 18 years or over, studying at a school or college participating in the scheme (except placement students, see below), and be either:
- A registered full-time student, enrolled and studying on a course consisting of 15 or more tuition led and/or structured learning hours a week over a period of at least 14 weeks and meeting your establishment's attendance requirements, or
- In receipt of a NHS student bursary either as a full- or part-time student
- A registered part-time student, enrolled and studying on a higher education course (such as a BA or a HND) and in receipt of student finance from a UK awarding body, such as:
- A Local Authority (LA) course or fee grant* or
- A student Loans Company (SLC) course or fee grant*
You may be in receipt of additional funding but this alone will not qualify you for the scheme without the required student finance. For more information about course and fee grants, please visit Directgov.
- A registered full-time postgraduate student, or
- A registered part-time postgraduate student in receipt of help from the Access to Learning Fund*, or
- A sabbatical officer, or
- A full-time student as defined above registered and studying on a higher education course with a school or college not registered on the scheme, but on mandatory placement in London for a minimum period of 14 weeks. More information about how to apply as a placement student
How to apply for an 18+ Student Oyster photocard.
* Proof of such receipt must be provided to your school or college prior to your application being validated by an authorised signatory or online provider.
Are you eligible for more savings?
You may be eligible for even greater savings by applying for a 16+ Oyster photocard but you must be:
- Under 19 on 31 August prior to the start of the current academic year
- Living in London
- In full-time education*
This will allow you to travel free on London's buses and trams. It will also allow you to buy 7 Day, monthly or longer period Travelcards at child-rate and pay as you go at half the adult-rate on the Tube, DLR and London Overground. The 16+ Oyster photocard will be valid until the end of your course or 30 September 2009, whichever is sooner.
*Full-time education means a minimum of 12 hours of guided learning per week for a minimum of ten weeks on further education courses at Level 3 or below (up to and including A level or equivalent vocational qualification). This must be based at a school sixth form or a sixth form college or Further Education college; or be part of a Learning and Skills Council funded Entry to Employment (E2E) or Programme Led Apprenticeships work-based learning. The hours of guided learning must take place between 09:00 and 18:00, Monday to Friday.
2008-2009 scheme
The 2008-2009 18+ Student Oyster photocard scheme will run until 14 October 2009.
Your student-rate travel concession will expire on your course end date or 14 October 2009, whichever is sooner. In accordance with our Terms and conditions, your student-rate travel concession, or the card itself, may be stopped without notice if we are advised that you are no longer eligible for the concession.
When your student-rate travel concession has expired, you can still use your 18+ Student Oyster photocard to pay as you go at adult rate and buy and use adult-rate season tickets, unless your card has been stopped over ineligibility prior to expiration.
*Calls from BT landlines will be charged with a minimum fee of 5.9p and then up to 4p per minute. Mobile and other network costs may vary.
