How to apply for school transport subsidy
- Fill in an online application for school transport subsidy in the OmaKela e-service (in Finnish and Swedish). Apply separately for each school year.
- If you cannot sign in to OmaKela, your guardian can apply for you in OmaKela.
- Use the route planner (kelareitit.digitransit.fi) when applying for school transport subsidy in the OmaKela e-service. The route planner can tell you the length of your trip to school and whether public transport options are available.
- Send the application in the OmaKela e-service.
- If you use Matkahuolto, Waltti, HSL, Nysse or Föli for your trips to school, you may receive the right buy subsidised tickets immediately from the ticket vendor’s online store after you have submitted your application. Vendor instructions for buying a ticket can be found on the Matkahuolto (matkahuolto.fi), Waltti (waltti.fi, in Finnish), HSL (hsl.fi), Nysse (nysse.fi) and Föli (föli.fi) websites.
- If you are not given the right to purchase tickets immediately after submitting your application, you can buy your tickets at the regular price and have the subsidy deposited in your bank account afterwards. See how to request that the subsidy is deposited in your bank account.
- In all other situations, Kela will pay the subsidy to you or the transport operator once your application has been reviewed.
- See information on your possible right to purchase tickets in OmaKela. In OmaKela, you can also see if your application has been decided and how much you will get. You will also get a written decision on your application by post. If you are under 18, Kela will communicate the decision also to your legal guardian.
Alternatively you can complete and print out the form School transport subsidy (KM 1e, pdf). Mail the application to Kela, PL 10, 00056 KELA. If you use Matkahuolto, Waltti, HSL, Nysse or Föli for your trips to school, Kela can grant you the right buy subsidised tickets immediately from the ticket vendor’s online store after you have submitted your application. You can track your application in OmaKela.