Student Travel - Tips & FAQs
Questions about the application process
Q. Will you consider late applications?
A. All available funds are typically allocated shortly after the application deadline. Therefore we are generally unable to consider late applications. Current application deadlines can be found here - Student Travel Subsidy Program Guide & Application
Q. If I want to bring more than 60 students to the Capital, can I qualify for more than the 60 student maximum?
A. No. You may bring more than 60 students to the Capital, but the PCC subsidy will only apply to a maximum of 60. This is so we can help as many schools as possible within our finite resources.
Q. Can we qualify for the subsidy if we have less than the 15 student minimum?
A. Yes. We have made exceptions for small rural schools with low enrollment and for home schooling groups. Contact Elaine.Moore@bcpcc.com for more information.
Q. Does the subsidy cover the cost of admission to various attractions such as the Royal BC Museum?
A. No. The subsidy applies to travel and accommodation costs only, such as bus, ferry, airplane, car pool and hotel rooms. The Royal BC Museum has a policy of free admission for BC school groups that book in advance. Further information is available from the Royal BC Museum website http://www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/Sch_Kid/self-visit.aspx.
Q. What about meals?
A. No. The subsidy applies to travel and accommodation costs only.
Q. Does the subsidy cover the cost of the adult chaperones that travel with the students?
A. No. The subsidy applies only to the students.
Q. Can we make changes to our travel plans after our application has been approved?
A. Yes, you can change your travel dates within the same school term or semester but you must notify us in advance of any such change. You can also change the number of students within the 15 - 60 range. Please notify Elaine.Moore@bcpcc.com of any changes to your plans.
Q. Are program funds available for trips to Ottawa?
A. No. This program applies only to travel to Victoria, the Capital City of British Columbia, from within the province of British Columbia.
Q. Do youth groups other than school groups qualify for the subsidy?
A. Yes. Youth-oriented service groups such as Scouts, Guides, 4-H or Cadets qualify as long as they fulfill the requirements as outlined in the application guidelines.
Q. I have an itinerary typed out in another program. Can I attach the file to my application instead of re-typing it into your form?
A. Yes, you can fax or email any additional information to be considered as part of your application.
Q. Our school is planning a trip to the Capital for our school band. Can we qualify for the subsidy?
A. Usually we do not fund travel of specialized extra-curricular or co-curricular groups such as bands or sports teams. However, your request for the subsidy may be considered if your in-school preparations and itinerary include an official tour of the BC Legislature and a focus on government and the Capital as well as other related activities.
Q. How do I book a tour of the BC Legislature?
A. Contact the Legislative Tour Office at tours@leg.bc.ca, or call 1-800-663-7867 and ask for the Legislative Tour Office.
Q. We just completed a class trip to Victoria. We did not know about your program until after our trip. Can we still apply?
A. No. We cannot retroactively subsidize any trip that has not been pre-approved through our application process.
Technical questions
Q. I cannot open the application or final report form, is there a trick to it?
A. Open the website at the Student Travel section of Visiting and right-click on the "Click here for Program Guide and Application Form" or "Click here for Final Report Form" (if you are using a Mac please hold down the option key while clicking on one of the above), go to "save target as" and save the file to your computer. Do not double click on the file to open it. Open Adobe AcrobatReader and then from within AcrobatReader under the file menu click open. Navigate to the document from within the "look in" window and click open. The document should open in AcrobatReader. If you are still unable to open the file, we would be happy to fax you a copy. Email Elaine.Moore@bcpcc.com.
Q. I completed an application for a PCC Student Travel Subsidy and attempted to submit it electronically, but experienced some technical problems and I don't believe the application was submitted. Should I print the application and mail it?
A. If you are wondering if your electronically submitted application was received, email Elaine.Moore@bcpcc.com asking for confirmation. You can try saving it as a PDF document (in the "file" menu, choose "save as" and save it to your computer) and attaching it to an email. Alternatively, you can print your application and mail it, or you can print it and fax it to 250-386-1303.
Questions about the final report process
Q. How soon after our trip should we submit the Final Report?
A. The sooner you submit your final report, the sooner you will receive your cheque. However, you should not submit your final report without submitting your travel receipts with it. The final report and all receipts must be received by January 31 for groups travelling from July – January, and by June 30 for groups travelling from February – June.
Q. Do you accept photocopied or scanned copies of receipts, rather than the originals?
A. Yes.
Q. How long does it take to get our cheque after we submit the final report?
A. As long as you submit all your travel receipts along with the completed report, a cheque will be requested right away. Normally we mail cheques the end of each month.
Q. In the final report I am asked to list the students by name. Is this really necessary?
A. This is our way of ensuring that the students really did travel to the capital and of confirming that we do not fund the same student in consecutive years. This information is kept strictly confidential and is not shared with any other agency.
