School Transport - Eligibility for school transport assistance

Students must meet all 3 eligibility criteria to get school transport assistance.

School transport assistance is usually a place on a school bus.

If a school bus isn’t available, students might be able to get an allowance to help pay for transport to school (this is called a conveyance allowance).

First criteria

The school must be the closest that the student can enrol at and, is either:

  • Mainstream state school
  • State-integrated school
  • Partnership school, or
  • Māori-medium school

Note: Māori-medium schools must either deliver Te Reo at Level 1, or at Level 2 and 51% or more of the instruction is in Te Reo.

Second criteria

Students must live more than a certain distance from the school.

Years 1-8

At least 3.2km from the school (over the shortest public road or pedestrian route from home roadside gate to the school’s front gate).

Years 9-13

At least 4.8km from the school (over the shortest public road or pedestrian route from home roadside gate to the school’s front gate).

Third criteria

There must be no suitable public transport options.

What makes public transport "suitable"?

Public transport must travel within:

  • 2.4km of the roadside gate of the student’s home, and
  • 2.4km of the closest appropriate school

The student:

  • won't have to be picked up before 7am
  • can get to school before it starts
  • can be picked up no later than one hour after school finishes
  • won't have to change buses more than once on a journey

What if suitable public transport becomes available?

If a suitable public transport option becomes available, the Ministry of Education gives affected schools at least one full term’s notice of the change (and schools must tell the caregivers of students who use that service).

Next step

Talk to your school about transport assistance.

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