You’ll find us at:
Suffolk New College – Suffolk Rural
Charity Lane, Otley
Suffolk, IP6 9EY
We have had a large amount of applications for travel to Suffolk Rural. We are processing these as quickly as we can, thank you for your patience.
Travel to Suffolk Rural
Bus / Train
For information about public and dedicated transport options to Suffolk Rural please download and view our new 2023/24 Transport Guide.
This guide contains links to apply and pay for your bus passes along with timetables and route options.
Please read the transport guide carefully as there are important updates for the 2023/24 academic year.
Driving
The College has a large car park for both students and staff.
Please use use the postcode IP6 9NE to access this car park.
Links & Downloads
Frequently Asked Questions
You should apply for your college travel pass as soon as possible from this point, using the College’s transport application form to indicate how you wish to travel. You must do this, otherwise you risk being unable to travel to college. Once you have submitted your college transport application form you can then purchase your travel pass through the College’s online shop, ‘EVOLVE’.
The College offers a number of different bursary schemes to students who meet the eligibility criteria. You must apply online to be considered for a bursary. For more details of the College’s bursary scheme, access www.suffolk.ac.uk/bursary
If you are making application for the bursary, please note that a travel pass will not be issued until we have fully assessed your bursary application. Therefore, you might wish to think about timings and consider whether you do need to purchase a travel pass in the first instance.
If you do purchase a travel pass and your bursary application is approved, then the cost of your travel pass (only if purchased through ‘EVOLVE’) will be reimbursed to you.
No reimbursement will be made for tickets purchased individually or for travel passes not purchased through the College’s ‘EVOLVE’ system.
Students can choose to bring their own vehicles on site. There is plenty of parking available and all car parks are free. Students must register their vehicle details at the point of enrolment and collect a 23/24 parking permit from their curriculum team. This must be displayed at all times when on site. (Polite notice: The College reserves the right to withdraw your right to park on campus should this become necessary. The College’s expectations will be explained to you so that you understand when it might be deemed necessary to remove a student’s right to park – either temporarily or permanently).
If you are on low income you can apply for a bursary, if you are approved you might be entitled to help with a bus pass.
**Please note, if you are planning on applying in hope to receive help with a bus pass, then please do this as soon as possible as we are assessing bursaries in date order and there may be a short delay in this process.
Yes, you will receive an email about a month before the end of the term to remind you to pay. This will allow us time to process the pass and have ready for collection. Collections are from Student Support or on occasion we post out before the start of the next term. An email will be sent out when collection is ready. Please make sure your email address on your application form is correct as we will use this information to contact you.
Yes, you will need to show your College Id card with your photo on it to the Conductor along with your Academic pass train ticket. (we would suggest taking a photo of your student id card and saving it on your phone in case you lose your College Id card. You cannot travel with ought this id.)
You will receive this in the post via 48 hour tracked Royal Mail service. If you applied for the Free shuttle bus from Ipswich Station to Suffolk Rural then this pass will either be posted out to you 2nd class Royal Mail if processed before the start of the new academic year, otherwise it will be given to Student Support for you to collect once we have contacted you letting you know it is ready for collection. If you would prefer this to be posted to you instead, please email us on bursary@suffolk.ac.uk.
Apply for your travel pass first of all (using the College’s transport application form) and then purchase your travel pass (no “Evolve” purchase is required for SB1 or SB2 shuttle buses if your journey begins in Ipswich town centre going to Suffolk Rural. Please see the transport guide for other locations.)
You are encouraged to purchase your college travel pass as soon as possible from this point as you cannot be issued with a travel pass without payment first being made. You must have a valid travel pass to travel by train and public bus otherwise you are breaking the law and risk being fined. You must also have a valid travel pass for the College’s bus routes. Travel passes must be purchased through ‘EVOLVE’. This is very important, because if you apply subsequently for a bursary and you are assessed as eligible, we can only reimburse travel costs that have been purchased through ‘EVOLVE’.
‘EVOLVE’ is the College’s online shop, accessed at www.suffolk.ac.uk/shop. Travel passes can be purchased termly at a cost of £250 per term. There is no option to purchase an annual pass. Although we will reimburse you if you are eligible on assessment of your application for support through the bursary, should you leave the College early no refunds can be given as the College purchases the travel passes on your behalf.
For students with special educational needs who may be unable to travel independently, please contact your local County Council for further information about specialist transport arrangements for post-16 education.
Application forms for a bus pass are for routes to Suffolk Rural Only. There are other bus routes available to the other campuses that you pay as you board.
If you download our Transport Guide you will find links to apply and pay for your pass.
No, you only need to apply once for the academic year, when you first sign up.
Yes, your ticket can be used in the evenings, at weekends and during the school holidays (during the ticket validity) you will need to make sure you have your student id card with you whenever you travel with your pass.
Please refer to the guide that was sent out to you by Greater Anglia along with your physical card. You will need to activate this at the barriers at the station for your card to be active and visible.
If you have not received a train pass you will need to buy single/day return tickets each day you attend college until you receive the pass.
– Students who have applied and been approved for bursary can take their ticket receipts to student support to be refunded as part of the hardship fund.
– Students who have not applied will be required to finance the train fares themselves and they would not be able to receive any refunds.
– Students who have applied but have not received a response for their bursary will need to keep hold of the tickets until they have been approved/rejected. If they have been approved, a refund of the tickets purchased would be able to be refunded. If you have been unsuccessful in obtaining their bursary, you would be unable to receive any refunds.
Financial Support
The College offers bursary schemes to enrolled students which offers assistance with kits, travel to College, uniform, college trips and other course materials.
