Traffic & Transit
Free Bus Fares For Students Are Vanishing
Federal cuts prompted West LA, East LA and LA Trade Tech to discontinue GoPass for students.
By Karine Keyser—
I’m one of the lucky ones. I went into the West Los Angeles College office to renew my GoPass for free bus rides on Oct. 1 – one day late. They graciously gave me a code to renew at a time when three community colleges are discontinuing the program due to cancellation of federal funding.
Free bus rides are extremely helpful for me. They help my mom pay for more important things like books, college classes an
d food.
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The federal funding for the GoPass program, a program that gives free rides to LACCD students, has just expired on Sept. 30, 2025, for West Los Angeles, East Los Angeles and Los Angeles Trade Tech. Some colleges secured funding for other sources.
More than 400,000 students are currently signed up for the program, according to the Los Angeles Times. No information was available as to how many students got caught with not activating their TAP cards on time.
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“Transportation needs shouldn’t get in the way of any student’s education,” said LA County Supervisor and Metro Board Chair Janice Hahn. “For many students and their families across L.A. County, the free Metro rides through our GoPass program has made all the difference.”
The GoPass program was funded for these colleges from a $1 million federal grant through the Congressional Directed Spending process to give free rides to all LACCD students.
The grant expired on Sept. 30, 2025, and the colleges became responsible for continuing the funding for the program by using their own budgets, student fees, local grants or partnerships with Metro.
Some of the colleges decide to stop the program. The only option for an extra 15 months of free rides was if a rider renewed or got their TAP card by Sept. 30.
If you got caught with the discontinued program, you can find discounted fares through the LIFE (Low Income Fare is Easy). Apply at “LIFE Program Application” on taptogo.net.
About this writer: Karine Keyser studies at the Lighthouse Christian Academy in Santa Monica. She wrote this article as an assignment.
