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How to apply for school transport subsidy

  1. Fill in an online application for school transport subsidy in the OmaKela e-service (in Finnish and Swedish). Apply separately for each school year.
  2. Use the route planner (kelareitit.digitransit.fi) when applying for school transport subsidy in the OmaKela e-service. The route planner can tell you the length of your trip to school and whether public transport options are available.
  3. Send the application in the OmaKela e-service.
  4. See information on your possible right to purchase tickets in OmaKela. In OmaKela, you can also see if your application has been decided and how much you will get. You will also get a written decision on your application by post. If you are under 18, Kela will communicate the decision also to your legal guardian.

Alternatively you can complete and print out the form School transport subsidy (KM 1e, pdf). Mail the application to Kela, PL 10, 00056 KELA. If you use Matkahuolto, Waltti, HSL, Nysse or Föli for your trips to school, Kela can grant you the right buy subsidised tickets immediately from the ticket vendor’s online store after you have submitted your application. You can track your application in OmaKela.

If you have already submitted an application for school transport subsidy and did not get the right to purchase tickets immediately after submitting the application, you can buy your tickets at the regular price and have the subsidy deposited in your bank account afterwards.

Do as follows:

  1. Buy a ticket for a full month or half a month from the vendor (Matkahuolto, Waltti, HSL, Nysse or Föli). If you have bought single tickets, you must have at least 10 days’ worth of them.
  2. Send a message in OmaKela stating that you bought a ticket. Tell us when you bought it and how much you paid.
  3. You will get a decision on school transport subsidy that will tell you the amount that will deposited in your account.

Seutu+ transport is considered part of Waltti bus services in connection with the school transport subsidy

Starting 1 January 2024, the transport services in the Varsinais-Suomi and Satakunta regions, i.e. Seutu+ transport, are considered part of Waltti bus services in connection with the school transport subsidy. If you use Seutu+ transport to travel to school and you apply for school transport subsidy, select Waltti as your mode of transport on the application form.

Contact the ticket vendor if you have questions about subsidised tickets, such as where to buy tickets, how to load them to your card or device or what kinds of tickets are available.

When to apply

Apply for the school transport subsidy at the beginning of each school year or when you know how you will be travelling to school.

The earliest that you can get school transport subsidy is the beginning of the month preceding application. For example, if you wish to receive it from the beginning of August, you must file an application in OmaKela by the end of September.

Apply for school transport subsidy once per school year.

Report changes in your circumstances

Report any changes in the OmaKela e-service (in Finnish and Swedish). You can also call telephone assistance for students.

Alternatively you can complete and print out a notification of changes form KM 4e (pdf).

If you report changes late, if the information you provide turns out to be incorrect, or if you do not report relevant information, you may receive school transport subsidy even though you are not entitled to it. In such cases Kela will require you to pay back the school transport subsidy even if it was paid to the ticket office or to the transport operator.

Find out what changes you must report to Kela.

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Last modified 16/3/2024
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