Cornell, Ithaca College & TC3 Students

Click on the announcement below to view what’s in store and/or to download individual for Fall service.

Those with Cornell IDs loaded with pre-programmed passes should swipe their IDs upon boarding on the mag-stripe reader.

CU ID Card Privileges: Cornell University pays for all of its students to receive unlimited free rides on all TCAT buses after 6 p.m. weekdays, and anytime Saturday and Sunday. Please note: if you swipe your ID it will come up as invalid on the farebox. YOU GET TO RIDE ANYWAY.

New Student? Additionally, the university generously provides all new-to-Cornell students unlimited free rides on TCAT buses 24/7!  These privileges are automatically added to your ID.

OmniRide for non-first-year students: Need more than just night and weekend bus access? Purchase OmniRide at a university-subsidized rate and use your CU ID card at the farebox for unlimited rides on all TCAT buses anytime and anywhere across Tompkins County! For more details about Cornell’s OmniRide and other transportation-related questions, please go to the university’s transportation page.

Students must be registered for privileges on their IDs to remain active.

Ithaca College

For the 2025-2026 academic year, for the second consecutive year, Ithaca College is generously subsidizing your passes on our TFare mobile app for you to get on any TCAT buses wherever and whenever they are operating without paying anything. (IC students who do not have a smartphone can get a smartcard through IC administration.) 

1. IC officials will notify you (faculty and staff as well) with instructions on how to register a account on the Tfare app, which can be downloaded  from Apple App Store for iOS and the Google Play store for Android.
2. When it’s time to ride, open the app on your mobile device and log in.
3. Once logged in, select the “Ithaca College Pass” displayed on the screen and select “Yes” at the subsequent “Activate Pass” window.
4. A QR code will appear on your phone screen to scan on the QR code reader on the farebox and ride. Make sure not to activate the pass until you see your bus as you will have 30 seconds before it expires.

If you need more than one bus to get to your destination (single direction only, not for return trips) please ask the driver for a transfer slip. Riders are allowed up to two transfer slips, but only to complete a continuous one-way trip; not for a return trip to where you originally boarded.

Tompkins-Cortland Community College (TC3)

TC3 is served directly by route 43 to locations in Dryden and downtown Ithaca, where you can transfer to most any route in the TCAT system. TCAT has 25 routes that serve all parts of Tompkins County, including many beautiful trails and parks.

For the 2025-2026 academic year, the second year in a row, TCAT is offering TC3 enrolled students substantial discounts on monthly (31-day) and 15-ride light Tcard smart cards that are sold only at TC3’s Card Office, Room 101, Main Campus.

 31 Days – $28 (retail value $45.00)

15-ride – $14 ( retail value $20)

These smart cards are disposable but work the same as any other durable smart card. Simply tap on smart card scanner located on the top side of the farebox. If you are using the 15-ride or any ride-based pass  please remember to ask the driver for a transfer if you need more than one bus to complete a one-way trip. The monthly pass is expiration based, meaning you can use it as much as you want within 31 days from the time you first use it on the bus.

Just an FYI

TCAT operates three service periods per year:

Fall: late August through late January

Spring:  late January through late May

   Summer:  late May through late August   

We update our website toward the end of each service period to alert you about upcoming changes.