Question about MBTA Student "Permit"

Does a student permit let you on the train and busses for free, or is it just reduced fare. I don't know if my student permit isn't working or if I'm supposed to pay a fare. I just got it today.

It'll get you on for a reduced fare.

Depends on what you've been given...in the old fare system, a "student permit" was a badge that you'd flash and then pay the child fare, but a "student pass" looked similar to a bus pass except without the magnetic stripe. It would get you on everything except commuter rail zones 2-9 and the commuter boat lines, at least until 8pm on school days. I had a student pass all through high school, though it's been a few years since then, but it's my understanding that the current student pass is a special type of CharlieCard that simply has its access restricted to the appropriate places and times.

If you just have the "badge" it will get you a half-fare.

If you have the actual card that you can swipe, I believe you pay like $13 upfront and get reduced fare rides from 5am-8pm on schooldays

Well it's a card you can swipe, and someone told me the school received "grant" money and bought them with it. But when I placed it in the gate (after 8:00) it said not enough value. I don't know if that means I have to put money on it or if it's past 8:00 and I can't use it.

Does a student "badge" say "permit" on the back or does it say badge?

If you insert your "permit" into an FVM (machine where you buy tickets), it will send you to a student screen. There you can "add value" with a minimum of .60.

You are also right in that your "permit" won't work after 8pm regardless of the amount you have stored on the ticket.

I believe that the old style plastic cards or badges are no longer valid (at least for the summer.)

patb96 wrote:Well it's a card you can swipe, and someone told me the school received "grant" money and bought them with it. But when I placed it in the gate (after 8:00) it said not enough value. I don't know if that means I have to put money on it or if it's past 8:00 and I can't use it.

Does a student "badge" say "permit" on the back or does it say badge?

Er, sorry if there was confusion in the terminology I used - I guess the half-price one used to be called a "badge," but the older full-fare cards were always known as a "pass." Like I said, it's been a few years since I graduated high school, and I was out of the country when the whole Charlie system was first introducted, so I haven't seen one of the newer types for myself. Oddly enough, even though I've taken the T a few times since returning, I still haven't even used a CharlieTicket of any kind!

According to my younger sister, there are occasionally still holes in the system where students can use their swipe cards at locations and times when they're technically not supposed to. Of course that's not encouraged, but heck, it was the same way with the old passes - I sometimes got on trains at almost midnight on Friday nights because the operators simply didn't care what the rules were!

I believe that the old style plastic cards or badges are no longer valid (at least for the summer.)

There is a summer school one. The one for the 05-06 school year is no longer valid. And in our tariff on the commuter rail, the student passes are good til 10:30p.