The NYC MetroCard

The NYC MetroCard ® is not only a great way to get around the city, it also offers some deals and trips.

All homeschoolers who reside within the NYC limits, and whose paperwork is up-to-date, are eligible to receive a MetroCard. The cards are standard issue, good from 5:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., for up to three trips a day, Monday – Friday. They will not work on weekends or national holidays, but they may work on local school holidays since the same cards are issued to private school students. A MetroCard lasts for a single semester, so you will need to get one in Sept., and another at the beginning of February. Make sure that all of your paperwork is up to date: your letter of intent, your IHIP and quarterlies, or you may be denied a MetroCard. Your year-end assessment should be on a separate sheet from your fourth quarterly, to prevent the mistaken impression that your paperwork is not complete.

You should receive two MetroCard applications (one for Spring, one for Fall) in the packet with IHIP and quarterly forms and a copy of the NY regs that you get from the Central Office of Homeschooling.

Tip: When you receive a MetroCard form, it is a good idea to make a clean copy of the MetroCard application before filling it out. You cannot find these applications online and some homeschoolers run into the problem of not receiving one to send in for the following year. You can always visit the office and request one, or send in a request in writing (which could take awhile), OR you can take your clean copy of the previous year's MetroCard application and change the old year to the new year on the form. The DoE has accepted this in the past, and you may find that it saves you time and trouble.

Information on Student MetroCards from NYC Dept. of Education.

The Best Way to and from School (pdf format) from the MTA.

NOTE: Students should keep their spring MetroCards over the summer as the cards will probably work for a couple of weeks at the beginning of the new school year in September. This is due to the fact that it takes time for them to distribute the new metrocards.

MetroCards are issued twice, in the fall and again in early February. The DoE issues forms to homeschoolers with the student’s name and ID, and these forms must be submitted on time if you want to receive your MetroCards on time. Paperwork submitted after August 15 for the coming year may result in receiving your MetroCard late.

Spring term metrocards:

You can submit forms for both fall and spring with your IHIP submission in late August or with any quarterly report. If you submit only one form for the fall term, then you must submit your spring metrocard form by JANUARY 15th (not postmarked, but received by the DoE by this date) in order to receive the card in time for the spring term. If you have not filed your IHIP, or if you are behind in your paperwork (such as no year-end assessment filed the previous year), then you are not eligible to receive a metrocard. If it is past the January 15th deadline there is no guarantee when you will receive a spring metrocard, although you should get it eventually. Note: if there is a delay or a problem with your paperwork, please be polite and remain calm, since the DoE homeschooling office is truly overworked and trying to do their best. You must use the forms provided by the DoE with the student’s ID number printed on the form. No other metrocard forms will be accepted.

Please note that a child traveling independently is at risk of arrest for truancy, and a child using a MetroCard on a school holiday is also at risk of arrest. Check with the DoE school holiday calendar. Children old enough to travel alone should always carry photo ID (such as a non-Driver's license obtainable at the DMV) and a letter of permission signed by the parent stating that the child is not truant, but homeschooled or on "independent study". You can include the phone number of the Bd. of Ed. homeschooling office as well as a way to reach the parent.