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BCU Travel Pass Scheme – Terms and Conditions

1. About the Scheme

The BCU Travel Pass Scheme gives eligible students a free West Midlands travel pass during their first year of study at Birmingham City University. The pass can help with the cost of travelling to and from university and is currently worth up to £750 (depending on individual circumstances).

The scheme is available to eligible students starting their studies in September 2026 or January 2027.

2. Eligibility

To qualify for the BCU Travel Pass Scheme, you must:

a) Have completed study at one of the following schools or colleges during the 2025/26 academic year:

  • Birmingham Metropolitan College
  • Cadbury Sixth Form College
  • Dudley College of Technology
  • Halesowen College
  • Joseph Chamberlain Sixth Form College
  • Sandwell College
  • Central Saint Michael's Sixth Form
  • Shireland Biomedical UTC
  • Shireland Collegiate Academy
  • Solihull College
  • Solihull Sixth Form College
  • South and City College Birmingham
  • Walsall College
  • City of Wolverhampton College
  • Coventry College

b) Apply to and accept an offer for an eligible undergraduate course delivered directly by Birmingham City University, starting in September 2026 or January 2027.

c) Be receiving your qualifications for the first time in the 2025/26 academic year. Students applying with qualifications already achieved in earlier years are not eligible.

d) Successfully enrol on your course and remain a registered student at Birmingham City University throughout the period of the BCU Travel Pass Scheme.

e) Study on a full-time undergraduate course.

Unfortunately, you will not be eligible if you:

  • Study a course delivered by a BCU partner institution
  • Study part-time.
  • Are enrolled on a degree apprenticeship.
  • Have deferred entry from a previous admissions cycle.
  • Are applying with qualifications obtained before the 2025/26 academic year.

3. How the Travel Pass Works

If you're eligible and successfully enrol at BCU, we will contact you with details of how to activate your travel pass. Unfortunately, we will not be able to reimburse passes that are already paid for.

Your pass will be provided on a monthly basis and must be renewed each month. As long as you remain enrolled and eligible, you'll continue to receive access to your travel pass.

The pass is available for your first academic year only and will normally remain valid until 30 June.

For students studying Digital Marketing, Nursing or Midwifery, the pass will remain valid until 31 August.

5. Staying eligible

To continue receiving your travel pass, you must remain enrolled on your course.

You will no longer be able to access the travel pass (and it may be terminated immediately) if you:

  • Withdraw from your course.
  • Take a break from your studies (interrupt or suspend your studies).
  • Cease to be enrolled at Birmingham City University.
  • Transfer onto a programme that is not eligible for the scheme.

BCU may also immediately suspend or withdraw a pass where:

  • the student provided false, misleading or materially incomplete information;
  • the pass has been shared, transferred, sold or otherwise misused;
  • the student breaches the travel provider’s terms;
  • the pass was issued because of an administrative or technical error; or
  • BCU reasonably suspects fraud or attempted fraud.

BCU may require repayment of costs it has incurred where a pass was obtained or used fraudulently or dishonestly. It will not normally seek repayment where the pass was issued solely because of an error by BCU and the student acted honestly.

You must promptly notify BCU if you believe that your eligibility has changed. BCU may also determine eligibility using its student records.

A transfer between eligible courses will not normally end entitlement. A transfer to a part-time course, apprenticeship, partner-delivered course or another ineligible programme will end entitlement from the effective date of the transfer.

BCU may prevent duplicate funding where a student is receiving another funded travel pass or substantially equivalent travel benefit for the same period. Other bursaries or statutory support will not affect eligibility unless their terms expressly provide otherwise.

6. Using Your Travel Pass

The travel pass can be used on eligible West Midlands bus and train services, subject to the transport provider's terms and conditions.

The pass:

  • Can only be used by you.
  • Cannot be shared, transferred or sold.
  • Cannot be exchanged for cash or another benefit.
  • Has no cash value.

7. Lost or Stolen Passes

Please look after your travel pass carefully.

BCU is not responsible for any lost, stolen or damaged passes. If your pass is lost or stolen, any replacement arrangements will be subject to the travel provider's policies and is not guaranteed.

8. Your Personal Information

We'll use the information you provide to administer the Travel Pass Scheme. This may include sharing relevant information with our travel pass provider so that your pass can be issued and managed.

Your information will always be handled in line with data protection legislation and the University's Privacy Notice: https://www.bcu.ac.uk/about-us/corporate-information/policies-and-procedures/privacy-notices/enquirers-applicants-students

9. Changes to the Scheme

While we intend to operate the scheme as described, Birmingham City University reserves the right to make reasonable changes where necessary, including in response to circumstances beyond our reasonable control.

10. Availability of the Scheme

The Travel Pass Scheme is available to all students who meet the eligibility criteria set out above. There is no cap on the number of awards available.

BCU will use reasonable efforts to arrange access to the pass but cannot guarantee uninterrupted availability of the travel provider’s systems. Temporary technical or administrative delays do not create an entitlement to a cash payment or reimbursement of individual travel expenses.

If the travel provider permanently withdraws the product, BCU will consider whether a reasonably suitable replacement can be provided but does not guarantee that an identical product will be available.

11. Our Decisions

All decisions relating to eligibility and administration of the Travel Pass Scheme are final.

12. Acceptance of Terms and Conditions

By accepting a Travel Pass through this scheme, you confirm that you have read and accepted these Terms and Conditions.