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College Discounts

Hey, college students – here’s how to save money riding Big Blue Bus!

UCLA
Santa Monica College
U-Pass Program


UCLA

BruinGO! Pass*

The quarterly BruinGO! Pass allows UCLA students, faculty and staff unlimited travel on Big Blue Bus or Culver CityBus for an entire academic quarter for the low cost of $45 for students and $55 for faculty and staff.

The BruinGO! Pass is sold by UCLA Transportation online or in person by visiting the Central Ticket Office.

Bruin Grad Pass

The Bruin Grad Pass programs allows UCLA graduate students unlimited travel on Big Blue Bus, Culver CityBus, and LA Metro bus and rail for an entire academic quarter (excluding summer), for the low cost of $25 (assessed via a student fee). Students also have access to one (1) additional long-distance commuter line serving campus, including Long Beach Transit, LADOT Commuter Express, Santa Clarita Transit, and Antelope Valley Transit Authority.

Students can log in to UCLA’s transit portal to register for the pass, then pick-up the pass at the Central Ticket Office. For more information about the Bruin Grad Pass, please visit UCLA Transportation

TAP Co-Pay

UCLA students, faculty and staff who ride occasionally can still receive a discounted rate on Big Blue Bus, by loading a "UCLA Co-Pay Pass" on their TAP card. The Co-Pay Pass on TAP can only be loaded by UCLA Transportation either online or in person by visiting the Central Ticket Office.

Before you use your Co-Pay Pass, you will need to load Stored Value (works like cash) on your TAP card. Stored Value can be loaded at the locations noted above, as well as any TAP vendor location or ticket vending machine (typically located at Metro Rail stations), or by calling 1-866-TAPTOGO.

When riding Big Blue Bus, tap your card and $0.70 in Stored Value will be automatically deducted. Students, faculty, and staff using the Co-Pay Pass do not need to present a UCLA ID to board Big Blue Bus.

*Includes Senior Students ages 62+.

Visit UCLA Transportation for all the details.

Santa Monica College

Ride BBB for free! Any Line, Any Time! 

Students

Santa Monica College (SMC) students may ride any Big Blue Bus line at any time with a Metro GoPass

Staff & Faculty

SMC staff and faculty must use a mobile pass to ride Big Blue Bus, as ID cards are no longer accepted to board. 

There are two options to get your free BBB pass:

  1. Plastic TAP Card: Take any TAP card to the Cashier's Office to have the new pass loaded. If you don't own a TAP card,  request one at the window.

  2. Mobile Pass: Enter your SMC email at https://www.tokentransit.com/bigbluebus/santamonicacollege  to get the new mobile pass for your phone.

    • An email from BigBlueBus@smc.edu will be sent to you with instructions on how to download the Token Transit app and register for the pass; be sure to use your @smc.edu account when registering.
    • Open the app and find your mobile pass in the wallet. Use it to board.
    • Read this FAQ for details about the mobile pass. Contact BigBlueBus@smc.edu with questions. 

U-Pass Program 

The U-Pass Program is a reduced-fare transit pass for enrolled college students offering unlimited rides on Big Blue Bus, Culver CityBus, DASH, GTrans, LA Metro bus and rail, Long Beach Transit, Montebello Bus Lines, Norwalk Transit, Pasadena Transit, and Torrance Transit.

Questions on how to participate? We got you covered!

How do I sign up?

  • Check the list of participating colleges at: metro.net/u-pass. If your school is listed, sign up online through your college website or in person at your college campus.

How much does it cost?

  • Pricing varies depending on your college. Payment to participate is paid directly to your college instead of Big Blue Bus.

How does it work?

  • Your college will issue you a U-Pass sticker embedded with a TAP computer chip that is placed directly on your college I.D.; no separate photo TAP card is required.

How long is it valid?

  • The U-Pass is valid for the whole semester, including breaks.

Who can participate?

  • Full- and part-time students can participate. For a list of participating colleges, visit: metro.net/u-pass.