Student Life and Leadership

Frequently Asked Questions – OCTA Bus Pass

Bus Pass

What is the Fullerton College Pass Program?

The Pass Program is a partnership between Fullerton College and the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA). Students can ride the OCTA buses an unlimited number of times with the paid transportation fee each semester (must be registered in at least 0.5 units per semester).

More information can be found here.

How can I access the OC Bus Pass?

Students can access their bus pass through one of three methods:

  1. The OC Bus App
  2. An encoded ID card
  3. Physical bus pass

Note: Students can only access the bus pass through one of the methods listed above. Student Life and Leadership expressly recommends using the OC Bus Pass on your mobile device.

Can I have both the OC Bus App and an encoded ID card?

No, using one method will disable the other.

Does the OCTA Bus Pass work for Metro buses?

Unfortunately, the OCTA Bus Pass will only work for buses owned by the Orange County Transportation Authority, so it will not work for Metro buses nor buses owned by other associations.

It will also not work for OC Access buses as those are designated for individuals who require special accessibility.

What if I drop classes?

So long as you are registered (not waitlisted) in at least 0.5 units for the current semester, you will be able to access the OC Bus Pass. If you are not taking classes, or drop all your classes, your access will be discontinued.

Can I use the Pass Program even with an outstanding balance?

Yes, you will still be able to use the OC Bus Pass even with an outstanding balance.

OC Bus App

What is my "Preferred" email?

To see what email is listed under your account as your “Preferred” email:

    1. Go to MyGateway
    2. Click on “Webstar” (blue star icon at the top of the MyGateway homepage)
    3. Click on “Personal Information”
    4. Click on “View Email Addresses”
    5. Note the email address with “Preferred” next to it
How do I set up my OC Bus App account?
  1. Download the OC Bus App
  2. Fill out your information and make sure to use the email that is listed as “Preferred” under your MyGateway account. To find out what your “preferred” email is, see the FAQ question above.
  3. Tap on the current semester bus ticket to activate it. Note that it will expire by the end of the current semester, but a new ticket will automatically distribute to your account on the first day of the next semester

Note: Changing the “Preferred” email under your MyGateway account will remove the bus pass from your OC Bus App account. Recreating your account with the updated “preferred” email will be necessary. However, the process of updating your email with OCTA can take up to 5 business days.

How can I recreate my account with the proper email?

On your OC Bus App:

  1. Go to “Settings”
  2. Tap on “Your Profile”
  3. Tap on “Deactivate Account”

After you’ve deactivated your account, tap on “Sign Up” at the bottom of the sign in page. Create a new account and make sure to use the “Preferred” email that was listed under MyGateway. To see instructions on pulling up your “Preferred” email, see the FAQ question above.

I can't get the OC Bus App. Is there any other option?

If you cannot download the OC Bus App, you can alternatively encode your Fullerton College ID card with the OCTA Bus Pass. Please come to the Student Center (Room 214) and request for ID card encoding during our hours of operation.

HOWEVER, please note that Student Life and Leadership expressly recommends that you download the OC Bus App rather than getting your ID card encoded for the following reasons:

  1. We can only encode one ID per semester, so if you lose the ID card, we cannot encode any replacement ID cards for the rest of the semester
  2. You must get your ID card encoded every semester you wish to utilize the service while the app will distribute a pass automatically every semester
  3. Students can only have their ID card encoded or the OC Bus App at a time, but not both, and it is more likely that you will lose your ID card than your phone
My pass is expiring, and I don't see a new one under my account. What can I do?

The OC Bus App will automatically distribute tickets to your account on the first day of each semester as long as you are actively registered (not waitlisted) in at least 0.5 units for said semester.

Tickets will last until the day before the next semester starts. For example, a Fall semester ticket could be issued from 08/21* and last until 01/30*. The Spring semester ticket will then appear on 01/31* and last until 08/20*.

 

*Dates only used as example. Does not represent actual distribution dates of tickets

Fees

What is this "Transportation Fee", and can I get it removed?

The Transportation Fee is a mandatory fee placed by Fullerton College on every actively enrolled student’s account to pay for the OCTA Bus Pass. In 2019, a referendum was held, and the student body voted to keep the Transportation Fee to cover the costs of providing public transportation for students. As this was a decision made by the student body, Student Life and Leadership cannot remove or waive the fee from your account.

However, this does mean that you can access the OCTA Bus Pass on either the OC Bus App or an encoded ID card (only one encoded card per semester) to ride the OC buses an unlimited number of times per semester.

Note: If you are under dual enrollment status, you may be exempt from the fee. Please see your dual enrollment officer for more information.

How much is the Transportation Fee?

Currently (as of 09/26/2023), the Transportation Fee is $5.75 for full-time students, $5.00 for part-time students. The Transportation Fee is not charged during the Summer session, only during the Fall and Spring semesters.

Updated as of 09/26/2023