Student support
Our specialist staff will support you throughout your time at College, so that you can develop the skills and qualifications you need to move onto the next stage of your life.
Travel support
Financial Support for your Travel Costs
The College offers financial assistance to students who meet the eligibility criteria in the form of a free annual public bus pass and ferry crossing ticket, or a contribution of up to 75% towards the cost of travel by train or car. Where a student requires bus travel in addition to travelling by train or ferry, they will be offered a bus pass. Students who are not eligible for financial support will be invoiced for the full price (or 50% where applicable) of their travel costs.
Students travelling from further afield (10km+) who do not meet the bursary eligibility criteria, will be offered a contribution of up to 50% towards their travel costs to their college campus. For example, students traveling from the Isle of Wight by ferry will be offered the Isle of Wight Ferry annual ticket through the college at a cost of £556.50, which is half the full price of £1133 listed on the Wightlink website.
New for 2024-25!
Reaching COPC just got easier with two extended bus routes. From the start of the new term in September, you’ll be able to take advantage of the PC1 and PC2 routes.
Did you know?
If you are travelling from the Isle of Wight, we will offer the Wight Link pass or Hovercraft pass at a discounted rate.
Depending on where a student is travelling from, there are a couple of bus companies that serve our campus locations. These are the First Bus and Stagecoach public bus services in Portsmouth, Hampshire, Sussex area. The college also run a service (PC1) from Highlands to the Sixth Form Campus – operated by First Bus.
The college will issue annual bus passes for all bus services and will give paying students the option to pay their contribution in instalments, this will have to be arranged with the Finance Team once they have received an invoice. Students on shorter programmes may be issued with termly bus passes to cover the length of their study programme.
Students can purchase the heavily discounted annual (or termly) bus passes from the bus companies, direct or they can apply to the college for an annual bus pass on either of the three bus services - First Bus, Stagecoach or PC1. Further information on the application process is available on the Financial Support pages on the College website.
First Bus
NEW EXTENDED ROUTE! First Bus (PC1) Service: This service begins in Gosport, stops at Cosham Interchange for Highbury Campus drop-offs, and ends at the Sixth Form Campus in Tangier Road. It also calls at Allaway Avenue, near North Harbour Campus. Click here to view PC1 timetable
NEW EXTENDED ROUTE! First Bus (PC2) Service: This service starts in Fareham/Portchester, stops at Cosham Interchange for Highbury Campus drop-offs, and ends at the Sixth Form Campus. It also stops at The Hard, a short walk from Arundel Campus. Click here to view PC2 timetable
First Bus Mobile Tickets: First Bus mTickets (Mobile Tickets) are available to buy in the First Bus App. Look for COPC Student tickets relevant to your area when you buy your Bus Pass. The pass is kept securely in your virtual wallet in the First Bus App on your phone.
First Bus Smartcards: students who are unable to use their mobile phones for their bus pass and require a first bus pass will be issued a ‘smartcard.’ This is of equivalent size to a bank card. (If you are to lose this smartcard it will cost you an additional £10 to get a new one).
Click here to download the First Bus How-To Guide
Stagecoach Bus
Buying your student pass on the app is quick and easy, and once you've bought your pass it’ll instantly be stored securely on your phone. Just show your driver the mobile ticket in the The Stagecoach Bus App along with your student ID card (if asked). You can still buy your ticket online and you’ll get your StagecoachSmart student card through the post in around three working days. You can use this on the bus every time you travel. If you already have a StagecoachSmart student card? You can reload your card by choosing 'Select a smart card' at checkout.
Click here to download the Stagecoach Bus How-To Guide
Planning your Bus Journey
Students are advised to check which bus routes are best before starting College. All the bus companies have a journey planner on their websites, which will tell you exactly how long the bus will take to the destination and exactly what time it stops at each bus stop. Please visit the bus company website that serves your area to plan your journey ahead.
The college will consider the discounts achievable from either of the below railcards when awarding financial support for travel by train. We advise students to purchase a railcard to take advantage of these offers so that we are maximising the support funds.
16-17 Saver railcard:
You can get a 16-17 saver if you are 16 or 17. It will give you 50% off most rail fares and can be purchased online at www.16-17saver.co.uk. The current cost is £30 for a year.
16-25 Railcard:
You can get a 16-25 Railcard if you are aged between 16 and 25, or you are a mature student. The railcard will give you 1/3 off a range of tickets as well as other discounts. Railcards can be purchased online at 16-25railcard.co.uk or at any staffed Ticket Office. The current cost is £30 for a year.
If you are travelling from the Isle of Wight (Ryde or Fishbourne), we will offer the wight link pass or a hovercraft pass, depending on which one suits you better. Once you arrive in Portsmouth you may require a bus pass to help you get to the campus that you are studying at, and this will be a First Bus (Portsmouth) pass. Students travelling from Gosport will be offered the COPC Student: Hants (All Zones) & Ferry, which allows for travel on the ferry and all zones within Hampshire.
Ferry Journey Planner
Students are advised to check which ferry routes are best before starting College. All the ferry companies have a journey planner on their websites, which will tell you exactly how long the journey will take to the destination and the expected arrival time. Please visit the ferry company website that serves your area to plan your journey ahead.
Student may travel to college in their own vehicles. The College does not charge for parking on college premises, but availability of a parking space is on a first-come first-served basis. There is ample parking at both the Sixth Form and Highbury campuses, limited parking at North Harbour campus and no parking on the premises at the Arundel Centre campuses. Students may apply for support towards fuel costs.
Issuing of Travel Passes
The college will issue electronic codes for all bus services and ferry travel awarded through the bursary. These codes must be downloaded on the service provider app to activate them, where specified. Please follow the service providers instructions on how to use their tickets.
Post –16 Transport Support from Local Authorities
Although there is no statutory entitlement to travel assistance for post 16 learners. Local Authorities can provide travel assistance for post 16 learners with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and who have an Education and Health Care Plan who also meet the Exceptional Circumstances Criteria. Students with learning difficulties and disabilities under the age of 19 may get help with transport costs and are asked to first contact their Local Authority for further information:
Students who live in the Portsmouth area with a PO1-PO6 postcode
Visit the School Transport and Travel page or call 02392 841 238.
Students who reside in all other postcodes in Hampshire
Click here for more information, or call the department on 01962 846924.
Cost of Travel 2024-25
The City of Portsmouth College will issue annual travel passes in the 2024/25 academic year. This allows for efficiency and removes delays in obtaining termly travel passes in subsequent terms. Our students can plan better, and the student journey to college is unhindered.
Our Travel Costs table shows the costs of travel for those eligible for a bursary, and the cost for those that fall outsude our eligibility criteria.
NEWS 30-07-2024
Going the extra mile for our students
We've teamed up with First Bus to run two specially extended dedicated bus routes for our students. From the start of the new academic year in September, students can take advantage of the PC1 and PC2 routes.
