Enrolled students at Moorpark College and six other schools will get a new way to ride every fixed-route bus in Ventura County for free starting Monday, Oct. 19.
The Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC) is replacing its Student ID Flashpass with VCcollegepass, a digital system that works through a mobile app or physical tap card. The old Flashpass stops working Monday, Nov. 16, according to a presentation by Matt Miller, VCTC program manager for transit contracts, delivered to the commission on Friday, Oct. 9, at Camarillo City Council Chambers.
Students who want the app should download Umo from the App Store or Google Play, select VCTC-VCbuspass as their agency, create an account with the same email they used to register for classes and enter an eight-digit benefit code from their college. Students who prefer a physical card can pick one up at their campus administrative office.
At Moorpark College, tap cards and program information are available at Fountain Hall, first floor, 7075 Campus Road. The campus phone number is (805) 378-1400.
Who qualifies
Seven schools participate: Moorpark College, Oxnard College, Ventura College, CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI), Santa Barbara City College, the Ventura County Adult Education Consortium and Westmont College.
CSUCI students are the exception. Their existing student ID cards already include the transit pass, so no additional card or activation is required, according to the VCTC program page.
Where the pass works
VCcollegepass covers all fixed-route bus services in Ventura County. That includes Camarillo Area Transit, Gold Coast Transit District, Moorpark City Transit, Simi Valley Transit, Thousand Oaks Transit, VCTC Intercity and Valley Express.
Students can ride to school, work or anywhere else on those routes at no charge.
Program history
VCcollegepass is the successor to the College Ride pilot program, which VCTC launched in August 2018 with funding from California's Low Carbon Transit Operations Program, according to a 2018 VCTC news release. The original pilot covered five schools. Since 2018, the College Ride and Youth Ride Free programs combined have provided more than 5 million free rides to college students and riders 18 and younger across the county, according to a November 2025 VCTC news release.
When the pilot launched in 2018, then-VCTC Executive Director Darren Kettle said, "This program has the potential to create new, life-long transit users and help boost transit ridership in Ventura County."
Students with questions can visit goventura.org/vccollegepass or call the Regional Transit Information Center at 800-438-1112. The next VCTC Commission meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m. Friday, Nov. 6, at Camarillo City Council Chambers, 601 Carmen Drive.
