Student Wellbeing
Student Transport
The Department of Education and Training (DET) provides travel assistance for eligible students attending their designated government specialist.
The Students with Disabilities Transport Program (SDTP) is a contribution towards and an acknowledgement of the additional costs families may incur as a result of attending a specialist school.
Attendance at a specialist does not automatically entitle a student to assistance or preclude parents from being primarily responsible for their child’s transport arrangements.
Criteria Determining Eligibility for the SDTP
A student must meet all of the criteria detailed below to be considered eligible.
Criteria 1 – Be eligible for the Program for Students with Disabilities (PSD)
The PSD is a targeted supplementary funding program for Victorian government schools. It provides resources to schools to support the provision of school-based educational programs for a defined population of students with disabilities, with moderate to high needs.
Criteria 2 - Reside in the Designated Transport Area (DTA) of the school attended
A DTA has been established for each government specialist school to ensure the efficient provision of transport services. To be eligible for transport assistance, students must reside within the DTA of the specialist or integrated school attended.
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Parents/guardians may choose to enrol their child at any specialist school outside of their DTA however, this precludes the student from accessing any transport assistance.
Students residing fewer than 4.8km from the school.
Parents/guardians are deemed responsible for their child’s travel arrangements if they reside fewer than 4.8km by shortest practicable route (drivable by car) from their local specialist school.
Access to a bus service may be provided to students residing less than 4.8km from their local specialist or integrated school if:
• seating is available on the service after all students with a higher priority of access have been accommodated;
• the student’s parents/guardians accept the conditions of travel (which include restrictions such as relinquishing the seat should a student with a higher priority of access require the seat); and
• the Department incurs no additional cost.
Such arrangements are on a term by term basis.
Criteria 3 – Be enrolled for three or more days per week
Students must be enrolled at a specialist for three or more days per week to be eligible for transport assistance.
Types of Assistance Available
The Department offers several different types of transport assistance under the SDTP.
SDTP school buses (Dysons)
The Department offers bus services to and from government specialist schools. SDTP bus services may not be suitable for all students in all circumstances.
Travel education
There is an expectation that students with access to public transport and assessed as cognitively, emotionally and behaviourally able will or will be taught to travel independently to and from school.
Students travelling independently to and from school will have their public transport ticket (commonly the Victorian Student Pass) reimbursed by the DET.
Conveyance allowance
Conveyance allowance provides financial assistance to parents/guardians transporting their child to and from school or to students travelling independently to and from school using public transport.
Students may be eligible for the conveyance allowance if a physical, behavioural or health reason prevents them from accessing the SDTP-provided bus. The STU will require documentation supporting the conveyance allowance claim before it can be submitted to the Conveyance Allowance Unit for payment.
Colin Simpson
Assistant Principal
NDIS and Students with Disabilities Transport Program
Information for parents and carers from The Department of Education:
“If a student gets support under the Students with Disabilities Transport Program, the student’s transport now comes under the NDIS. However, until 2023 student transport will be provided by the Victorian Government as an in-kind service.
If the student is an NDIS participant and does not use the Students with Disabilities Transport program, their families or carers need to talk to the NDIA about help with student transport.
Colin Simpson
Assistant Principal