Subsidised school trip card

Students at general upper secondary schools and vocational institutions may apply for school transport subsidy for the expenses caused by their daily school trips.

Student should apply for the subsidy through OmaKela using Kela's electronic application. This requires online banking codes or a mobile certificate.

The application is made online in OmaKela (Opens in a new tab). It can also be done by your guardian. Public transport must be selected as the mode of transport and Föli as the ticket vendor in the application.

You will be given the right to purchase a school transport subsidy card immediately, and the official decision will arrive later.

The subsidy must be activated on your profile page in the Föli shop (kauppa.foli.fi (Opens in a new tab)). Activation requires logging in to the service: Log in with your user ID and password. Go to the menu on the top right corner and select ‘Profile’. At the bottom of your Profile page, you can find the ‘School transport card subsidised by Kela’ setting. To activate it, select ‘Yes’. You can then load your travel card by going back to the menu and selecting ‘Load card’. If the Föli card has been used as a value card before, you need to change the product through Föli customer service before loading the school transport subsidy onto it, for example by phone or chat.
If you have any problems with the right to purchase granted by Kela, contact Kela’s customer service.

Who is entitled to school transport subsidy?

In the Föli area, i.e. Turku, Kaarina, Raisio, Lieto, Naantali, Paimio and Rusko, school trips are free of charge for students eligible for free education if the distance to school is more than 7 kilometres one way. The price of the school transport subsidy card is EUR 0 / 30 days.
Students are eligible for the school transport subsidy if they travel the minimum specified trip at least 10 days per calendar month.
Starting 1 August 2025, only students entitled to free education can be granted school transport subsidy.

Updating and topping up a subsidised school transport card in the Föli shop

You can apply for school transport subsidy from Kela. School transport subsidy cards must be topped up monthly at the Föli shop or at Föli service points (not at top-up points or Föli application). If the Föli card has been used as a value card before, you need to change the product through Föli customer service before loading the school transport subsidy onto it, for example by phone or chat.

How to get the discount in the Föli shop

1. Log in/register in the Föli shop: kauppa.foli.fi (Opens in a new tab)
2. Open the menu in the upper-right corner (three lines), select “Profile” and select “School transport card subsidised by Kela” from the profile. To activate the discount, set the bar to “Yes” by clicking it.
3. Select “Load card” from the menu.
4. Insert your Föli card number and click “Add card”.
5. Add the product in the shopping cart and click “Payment”.
6. Check that the charged sum is correct and choose a payment method.
7. Please wait while the site returns to the Föli shop

The last ticket for the academic year must be loaded onto your card or device no later than 14 days before your studies end.

Change to the conditions of school transport subsidy starting August 1, 2025

Starting 1 August 2025, only students entitled to free education can be granted school transport subsidy.
Up till now, other students than those entitled to free education have been able to get school transport subsidy if their one-way trip from home to school is at least ten kilometres.

If you do not know whether you are entitled to free education, you can ask your school.

Length of the school commute

The school commute is defined as the shortest driving route between the home and the educational institution. If this shortest route is below the specified number of kilometers, the student cannot receive school transport subsidy, even if the distance traveled by the Föli bus is longer. To measure the length of the school commute, you can use the route planner service available on Kela’s website when submitting the application.

A person entitled to free education can receive school transport subsidy if the one-way commute is at least 7 kilometers.

Travelling to upper secondary education institutions from municipalities outside Föli to the Föli area?