Homeschool benefits and savings in Ithaca and Tompkins County
TCAT FreeRyde lets young people ride Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit (TCAT) buses free instead of paying the $1.50 adult fare. Children 13 and under just board; teens 14-17, and older students still in high school or homeschooled, need a free FreeRyde smart card that a parent registers for them.
Who qualifies
Is 17 or younger
Any young person 17 or younger can ride free, whether or not they are enrolled in a school. Children 5 and under ride with a parent or responsible adult.
Or is older and homeschooled
Students 18 and older still ride free if they attend high school, and TCAT names homeschool alongside public, private, and charter school. They need a card to ride.
Carries a card from 14
Bus operators need the FreeRyde smart card to tell teens from college students and adults. A parent, guardian, or teacher fills out the registration form for each child.
Is not a college student
College students 17 and younger do not qualify for FreeRyde and use TCAT's college fare options instead.
What the fare saves
TCAT's fare page lists what an adult rider pays without FreeRyde.
- FreeRyde rider, any trip
- Free
- Single adult ride
- $1.50
- 1-day pass or daily fare cap
- $3.00
- Monthly pass
- $45.00
- Annual pass
- $450
- Replacement FreeRyde card
- $3.00
FreeRyde works only on the physical smart card, not on TCAT's Tfare mobile app, and old magnetic-stripe cards from before 2025 no longer work on the farebox.
How to get free rides
- Before your child turns 14
Register for a card
Fill out the interactive or downloadable registration form, or pick one up at the customer service desk, 737 Willow Ave., Ithaca, weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- After processing
Get the card
TCAT mails the card or holds it at the customer service desk. The card and mailing are free.
- Each ride
Tap and ride
Your child taps the card on the very top of the farebox. Children 13 and under can board without a card.
- At 18 or graduation
Card expires
A new smart card is valid until your child turns 18 or until September 1 of the year they finish high school, whichever is later.
What it includes
Included
- Every TCAT bus route
- The first FreeRyde smart card and mailing
- Riders who live outside Tompkins County
Not included
- Rides on the Tfare mobile app
- Replacement cards
- College students
Good to know
Riders 17 and younger ride free
Every young person 17 or younger rides free on TCAT without any school requirement. TCAT also lists homeschool as a way for an older student still in high school to keep riding free.
Who to contact about FreeRyde
TCAT customer service handles FreeRyde registration forms and cards and will mail a form on request.
freeryde@tcatmail.com 607-277-7433 FreeRyde page
Homeschool rules and statewide help in New York
Send a letter of intent by July 1 each year, or within 14 days of a midyear start. You must submit the IHIP within four weeks after receiving district forms or by August 15, whichever is later.
New York sets these rules:
- Subjects: Teach the subjects required for each grade band by Part 100.10, including patriotism and citizenship. Provide the equivalent of 180 days: 900 hours annually in grades 1–6 and 990 hours in grades 7–12.
- Testing: Annual assessment: grades 1–3, test or written narrative; grades 4–8, standardized test at least every other year, with a written narrative permitted in alternate years; grades 9–12, standardized test annually. A score above the 33rd percentile or one year of growth meets the progress standard.
- Records: Keep attendance records and make them available to the district on request. Submit an annual IHIP, quarterly reports, and the annual assessment.
- Teachers: New York requires the instructor to be competent; it does not require a teaching certificate.
Read the New York homeschooling guide See statewide programs in New York
Questions parents ask
- Who can fill out the FreeRyde registration form?
- A parent, guardian, teacher, or a representative of a youth or social services organization fills out one form for each young person. As a homeschool parent, you complete it yourself.
- We live outside Tompkins County. Can my teen still get a card?
- Yes. TCAT says youth who live outside the county and meet the age rules also qualify.
- When does the card stop working?
- At 18 or on September 1 of the year your child finishes high school, whichever is later, under the current card rules. An older answer on TCAT's page says September 6, 2025, so check the date printed on the card and call TCAT if it has passed.
Turn support into your child’s next lesson
A student fare helps with trips to classes and activities. We handle the learning at home, with lessons built around your child's interests and feedback on their work.
$149/month per child after the trial.
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