Student Fare Information
College students save money using Campus Connection.
The Campus Connection pass offers college students unlimited rides on Pace regular fixed route and On Demand buses every day of the week at any time of day (Up to a $125 discount, compared to Pace's 30-day pass).
The pass is valid for an entire semester (5 months), but can be purchased at any point during the semester at a pro-rated price. Students need to load the Campus Connection entitlement to their Ventra Card.
A CTA U-Pass is not valid for rides on Pace. However, a U-Pass holder is automatically entitled to purchase the Pace Campus Connection Pass and load it onto his/her U-Pass Ventra Card.
High school and younger students are eligible to ride Pace routes at a reduced rate.
- For frequent riders, the Pace 30-Day Reduced Fare Pass offers students with a high school entitlement applied to their Ventra account unlimited rides all day, every day, regardless of trip purpose and without school-hour restrictions, for 30 days. This pass costs $30. See below for details on how to get that Card.
- Occasional riders who pay fares with transit value on their Student Ventra Card are eligible to ride for a reduced fare of $1.00. This offering includes weekend and summertime travel. See below for details on how to get that Card.
- Transfers between buses are available when using transit value on a Ventra Student Card, and cost $0.20.
- Students without a Ventra Card can pay $1.10 in cash (using exact change) after presenting a student ID. When paying cash, the 20-cent transfer fare is not available, and instead the student rider pays a second $1.10 fare.
- A surcharge of $1.15, which must be paid for using Ventra transit value, will apply when using the 30-Day Reduced Fare Pass on Pace Premium routes.
- Many schools distribute Ventra Student Cards directly to their students. Visit VentraChicago for a list of participating schools.
Please note: the bus operator may ask for a student ID to confirm eligibility for the reduced fare.
General High School Student Ventra Card Information
High school and younger students can ride Pace routes at a reduced rate and have several options available. Daily riders may want to buy a Pace 30-Day Reduced Fare Pass. This pass costs $30 and is loaded to your VentraStudent Card. It offers unlimited rides on Pace regular routes and Pace On Demand services, without school-hour restrictions.
To load this reduced fare pass to a Ventra account, a student will need to obtain a Ventra Card with the student entitlement (see below for details on how to do that). Less frequent riders can still get a discount on Pace rides by using their Ventra Student Cards and loading value to the transit account to pay per ride.
For students who do not have a Ventra Card: You can get a card in one of two ways. First, click here to see if your school is on the list of schools that directly distributes Ventra cards to its students. If your school is on that list, see your school's administrator for information on how to get a new Ventra student card. If your school does not give out Ventra cards directly, you can request a new student card. To do so, use this order form to order a card directly from Ventra. Your new card will be mailed to your school, where you can pick it up.
For students who had a Ventra Student Card but lost it: You can get a replacement Card in one of two ways. First, click here to see if your school is on the list of schools that directly distributes Cards to its students. If your school is on that list, see your school's administrator for information on how to get a replacement Ventra Student Card. If your school does not give out Cards directly, you can request a replacement student Card. To do so, use this order form (and pay special attention to the "Ordering a Replacement?" section) to order a Card directly from Ventra. Your replacement card will be mailed to your school, where you can pick it up.
For students who still have a Ventra Student Card from the previous school year: You need to get your existing Card "re-entitled". The schools on this list have already informed Ventra if you are still enrolled, so if your school is on that list, you don't need to do anything. If your school is NOT on that list, print and fill out Section I of this order form and then bring it to your school administrator. The administrator will fill out Section II and then you send the form to Ventra.
To learn more about Ventra, please visit ventrachicago.com/students.
A surcharge of $1.15, which must be paid for using Ventra transit value, will apply when using the 30-Day Reduced Fare Pass on Pace Premium routes. Ventra Student cardholders can, in addition to buying the 30-Day Reduced Fare Pass, load transit value and pay a reduced fare for each ride, but only on school days between 5:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and only for travel to and from school.
Students who pay cash fares on the bus are eligible to ride for a reduced fare, but only on school days between 5:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and only for travel to and from school. The bus operator may ask for a student ID to confirm eligibility for the reduced fare. However, the 30-Day Reduced Fare Pass offers students this great value all day, every day, regardless of trip purpose. A surcharge of $1.15, which must be paid for using Ventra transit value, will apply when using the 30-Day Reduced Fare Pass on Pace Premium routes.
Some Pace bus routes have special trips designed to serve schools at the beginning and end of the school day. See the timetables posted on Pace's website and pay special attention to the footnotes.
High School Administrator Information
Administrators who want to order a quantity of Cards and distribute them to students can learn and join the program here. Administrators who don't wish to order Cards on behalf of students are asked to hand over Cards which have been ordered individually by their students and mailed to the school.
