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School Transport Assistance Scheme

The Department of Transport and Main Roads provides assistance under the School Transport Assistance Scheme (STAS) in situations where access to education is impeded by distance, income or isolation. You can download the policy for more information (PDF, 3.9MB).

The following information is a summary of STAS assistance available, terms and conditions and how to apply.

General eligibility

All types of STAS assistance require that a student:

  • have parents/guardians who reside in Queensland
  • attend an approved school
  • are 18 or younger
  • require transport assistance to and from one home address only
  • make 2 or more trips per week by the same mode of transport.

Type of assistance available

Find more information on other school travel assistance schemes.

Bus and ferry assistance

There are 2 types of assistance available to students travelling on bus or ferry services to school.

Distance based assistance

Students without a state school in their local area may be eligible for distance-based assistance if:

  • their nearest state primary school is more than 3.2km away
  • their nearest state secondary school is more than 4.8km away
  • non-state school students must live the required distance from both the nearest state and non-state school.

Safety-net assistance

If students reside too close to their school to qualify for distance-based assistance, they may still be eligible for STAS assistance if they are listed as a dependent on the applicant’s:

  • Health Care Card issued by the Department of Human Services (or hold their own Health Care Card)
  • Pensioner Concession Card issued by the Department of Human Services or Department of Veterans’ Affairs
  • Or if they are under a Child Protection Order by Child Safety Services

Applications must be the name of the cardholder and require evidence of eligibility. The cardholder must also agree to data-matching being performed with the Department of Human Services.

Rail travel assistance

Rail travel assistance is available to eligible students who travel on the Queensland Rail Citytrain network or Gold Coast light rail tram (G:link).

To be eligible for students must be listed as a dependent on the applicant’s:

  • Health Care Card issued by the Department of Human Services (or hold their own Health Care Card)
  • Pensioner Concession Card issued by the Department of Human Services or Department of Veterans’ Affairs
  • Or if they are under a Child Protection Order by Child Safety Services

Eligible students receive government funded travel between the closest station to their home and the closest station to their school. A STAS go card will be issued for school travel.

Conveyance allowance

Available for families who must make private arrangements to transport their children to and from school, or to and from a bus stop or train station.

Students may be eligible for conveyance allowance if:

  • their nearest state primary school is more than 3.2km away
  • their nearest state secondary school is more than 4.8km away
  • non-state school students must live the required distance from both the nearest state and non-state school.

Students who attend a non-state school and reside outside the Brisbane Local Government Area boundary may be eligible for conveyance allowance. Applicants must live over the distance criteria from their nearest non-state school of the type attended.

Drought assistance

Available for families who live on a drought declared primary producing property, and who qualify for conveyance allowance Class A or C.

Eligible properties must be situated in a drought declared shire or be classified as an individually droughted property by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.

Assistance for isolated students

Students who live in isolated parts of Queensland may be eligible for additional assistance if they:

Last updated:
21 January 2021
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