All nine community colleges in Orange County are now on board the College Pass Program.
The College Pass, a shared-cost program that allows enrolled community-college students to travel free on any OC Bus fixed route, helps students access higher education, employment and recreational opportunities across Orange County.
At a recent meeting of the OCTA Board of Directors, CEO Darrell E. Johnson presented administrators from each of the colleges with a resolution thanking them for participating.
“It’s great to see how this program has expanded, reaching all of our community colleges,” said OCTA Chairman Mark A. Murphy, also the Mayor of Orange. “The College Pass is helping thousands of students discover how convenient and beneficial public transit can be and, at the same time, offers them easier access to higher education and the path toward their dreams.”
The College Pass Program began as a pilot program in 2017 with Santa Ana College and has expanded in phases to each of the other community colleges in the county, including:
- Rancho Santiago Community College District Continuing Education program
- Santiago Canyon College
- Fullerton College
- Goldenwest College
- Saddleback College
- Irvine Valley College
- Coastline College
- Orange Coast College
The program is a shared-cost program, partially funded by the colleges and by Clean Transportation Funding from the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction and Review Committee and the state’s Low Carbon Transit Operations Program through California Climate Investments.
The state’s California Climate Investments is a statewide initiative that puts billions of cap-and-trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy and improving public health and the environment – particularly in disadvantaged communities.
By using the pass, college students enjoy a free, convenient ride while avoiding parking costs and hassles and contributing to a cleaner, healthier environment.
The program also helps bus ridership, introducing new riders to public transit and removing barriers to higher education for students, some who say they wouldn’t be able to attend college without it.
For more information, visit here.