We are working with Cambridgeshire County Council (CCC) and local bus providers to subsidise the cost of transport to help widen the options for young people in Fenland and help remove the financial barrier for parents / guardians.
We are working with Cambridgeshire County Council (CCC) and local bus providers to subsidise the cost of transport to help widen the options for young people in Fenland and help remove the financial barrier for parents / guardians. If you are eligible, you won't need to speak to the local authority or bus company as we will sort everything for you!
If you live in Fenland, have applied to the Wisbech campus (or King’s Lynn or Sports campuses, if the course is not offered at Wisbech) and live on a local bus route (full details found below) you will be eligible for this offer and will only have to pay £250 to travel to college.
If your household income is below £45,000 per annual year, you will be eligible for our financial support scheme which will cover the full cost, leaving you with nothing to pay!
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Eligible bus routes - Wisbech campus
If you live in Fenland and along one of these routes (or live in Fenland and can get to one of the stops), you will be eligible for the CWA Travel Subsidy.
When completing your application, you'll be able to tell us what service you would prefer.
These private bus are provided by Cambridgeshire County Council. There is a limited amount of spaces on each bus and students who are eligible for free transport (i.e. receive free meals) will be prioritised. After this, seats will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.
The following services run at the start and end of each college day and drop off / collect from the college.
CWA5* - Parson Drove | Murrow | Gorefield | Tydd St. Giles | Wisbech campus
CWA6 - Chatteris | Doddington | Wimblington | March | Coldham | Friday Bridge | Wisbech campus*Please note that the CWA5 is subject to demand. It is generally a minibus instead of a coach. It is important that you apply as soon as possible if you live in one of these villages! If you live in a nearby village but are unable to get to one of the CWA5 stops, we may be able to speak to the service provider about picking you up from your village.
Public buses
We're also working with local bus providers for the subsidy. The following buses do not come onto the campus but go to the bus station (15 minute walk away) on a regular basis throughout the day. In both instances, students will be able to use their bus passes at any point during term time.
You can click the service to find the full timetable.
First excel - Thorney Toll | Guyhirn | Wisbech
Stagecoach 46 - March | Ring's End | Tydd St. Giles | Newton | Parson Drove | Leverington | Murrow | Guyhirn | Wisbech St. Mary | Wisbech -
Eligible bus routes - King's Lynn and Sports campuses
If you live in Fenland and along one of these routes (or live in Fenland and can get to one of the stops) and your chosen course is not offered at our Wisbech campus, you will be eligible for the CWA Travel Subsidy.
These private bus are provided by Cambridgeshire County Council. There is a limited amount of spaces on each bus and students who are eligible for free transport (i.e. receive free meals) will be prioritised. After this, seats will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.
The following services run at the start and end of each college day and drop off / collect from the college.
CWA1 - March | Coldham | Friday Bridge | Elm Green | Wisbech | Walsoken (Locomotive) | King's Lynn campus
CWA1B - Murrow | Tydd St. Giles | Newton | Wisbech St. Mary | Leverington | Wisbech (Horse Fair)**The CWA1B is a minibus which connects to the CWA1. For example, if you live in Newton, you would get the CWA1B bus and then change the CWA1 at the Horse Fair. The services always wait for each other - so there shouldn't ever be an instance where you're stuck at the bus station.
Students who are studying at our Sports campus should walk from the main campus (approx. 10 minutes) down the cycle path near Strikes and the petrol station. You can find a map here.
Public buses
We're also working with local bus providers for the subsidy. The following buses do not come onto the campus but go to the bus station (15 minute walk away from the campus) throughout the day every 30 minutes. It's an ideal bus for those who finish earlier in the day or start later. Students will be able to use their excel bus pass throughout the whole route (Peterborough - Norwich) at any point through the day, including evenings, half-terms and weekends!
You can click the service to find the full timetable.
First excel - Thorney Toll | Guyhirn | Wisbech | King's Lynn
Unfortunately there is no suitable transport to King's Lynn from the Chatteris - Wimblington area.
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What about learners with an EHCP?
If your young person has an Education, Health & Care Plan and require a taxi (because they are not an independent traveller), you will need to meet Cambridgeshire County Council’s eligibility criteria to use the CWA Travel Subsidy offer. More information on the criteria can be found here. You will be asked to pay £250 but we will cover the remaining parental contibution cost by paying the council directly.
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What if my household income is below £45,000 per year?
If your household income is below £45,000 per year, you will be entitled to our financial support scheme which will cover the cost of a travel pass as well as contribute towards other costs related to study (for example, equipment and resource fees). For more information, click here.
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Full terms and conditions
To be eligible for the CWA Travel Subsidy, you must:
- Live in Fenland on one of the bus routes (or meet the council’s EHCP criteria)
- Be studying or offered a place to study one of our full-time courses
- Attend our Wisbech campus (or King’s Lynn / Sport campuses if your chosen course is not offered at Wisbech)
- Live further than three miles away from the campus
- Pay your £250 contribution before the start of term (if you are not eligible for financial support)
If your household income is less than £45,000 per annum, we will use the 16- 19 Bursary Fund to cover any parental contribution towards a travel pass (with CCC or a local bus provider). Otherwise, you will need to pay your £250 contribution before the start of your course. You will be sent a link to pay shortly after your application.
As £250 is a small contribution towards the full fee the college is charged for transport, we do not consider refund requests if you withdraw from your course or move house.
If you do not meet the above criteria (for example, if you live in March but you're going to King's Lynn even though your course is offered at Wisbech), you will not be able to use a private bus to college as the seats would have already been allocated to those eligible.
Private bus are provided by Cambridgeshire County Council. There is a limited amount of spaces on each bus and students who are eligible for free transport (i.e. receive free meals) will be prioritised. After this, seats will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.
How do I apply for the subsidy?
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How to apply
Applications for the CWA Travel Subsidy are made online.
You will need to make an application on our financial support portal. We do this just to confirm that you are not eligible for financial support - if you are not eligible, you'll probably answer 'no' to most of the questions. Applications for financial support and the subsidy will open in May 2025. -
What happens after I've applied?
Once you've applied for the CWA Travel Subsidy, our student services team will review your application, check whether you are eligible for financial support and then send you an update by email. You should expect to hear an update within two weeks of your application.
If you are not eligible for financial support (i.e. your household income is above £45,000 per annum), you will be sent a link to our online store to pay your £250 contribution. Your bus pass will not be ordered until you have paid your contribution.
You do not need to apply directly to the bus company or the county council, we will sort all of this for you once your application has been completed (unless you have an EHCP).
If you've asked for a travel pass for one of the college buses, we'll send you your bus pass in the post once you've paid. These private bus are provided by Cambridgeshire County Council. There is a limited amount of spaces on each bus and students who are eligible for free transport (i.e. receive free meals) will be prioritised. After this, seats will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.
If you've asked for a public bus, we won't be able to order your bus pass until you've enrolled during the summer. The excel pass is on their mobile app and we'll send you a code and instructions to redeem your pass. Your pass will not work until the first day of term.