MTA Offers Free Student MetroCards to NYC Students K to 12th Grade

By Yehudit Garmaise

Free student MetroCards are available to students who attend kindergarten through 12th grade in NYC, said Richard Davey, the president of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), who greeted and welcomed back the many pint-sized commuters who were heading to school today at the Jay Street-Metro Tech subway station in Downtown Brooklyn.

The NYC Department of Education administers the free student MetroCards to students who use the subway or the bus to attend kindergarten through 12th grade. Students may only use their student MetroCards on school days between 5:30am and 8:30pm.

“The first subway or bus ride of the school year is a rite of passage for [many] young New Yorkers,” said Davey, as he shook the hands of many NYC students who were wearing their backpacks on both their shoulders and ready to head to school.

Eligibility for the free student MetroCards “is based on a student’s grade level, walking distance between home and school, and existing accommodations based on medical conditions, housing status, and safety assessment,” schools.nyc.gov says.

“Every day, New York City Transit is proud to help hundreds of thousands of students safely get to school for the day, and I was thrilled to welcome students back for their first day of school for the first time as president,” said Davey, who gave out other MTA-themed goodies.