The USC Transit Subsidy Program is designed both to help save money for employees who choose to commute using public transportation and to reduce the number of single-passenger vehicles being used for commuting.
All USC employees – both faculty and staff – are eligible for a 50% subsidy on the cost of public transit passes. The formal USC Transportation program includes LA Metro, LADOT and Metrolink passes. In addition to the subsidy, enrolled employees can pay for their transit passes with pre-tax payroll deductions, further increasing the value of the program.
Program participants are also eligible for up to three free daily parking passes per month in either the Valley Lot or Lot 71 (at HSC) or the Figueroa, USC Shrine, or Grand Avenue Structures (at UPC), for use on those occasions when they need to bring a vehicle to campus (including home football game days!).
Sign up for the Monthly Transit Subsidy Program today! (if you need a different product than the monthly pass, continue reading below)
If you would like to cancel a current Transit Pass, please use our transit subsidy cancellation form.
REMINDER: The USC Transit Subsidy Program is for ALL employees, regardless of where you live, what transportation system you use to get to work, or whether you’re a formal enrollee in the USC Transportation program detailed above or not. To participate in the transit subsidy program if you are not in the LA basin (or if you need a different product/use a transit provider not included in our formal monthly program), then all you need to do is purchase the public transit pass you need out of pocket, and submit a copy of your receipt electronically for 50% reimbursement through USC Payroll.
Please submit receipts via email to tsubsidy@usc.edu, all at once, the first week after the month in which the expense incurred ends (e.g., all July expenses should be submitted the first week of August). Please submit receipts in a timely manner. We do not process reimbursements for expenses more than 30 days old.
The Los Angeles Basin transit passes for current participating agencies in the monthly program are listed below. The USC Transit Subsidy Program is the first step in a comprehensive Transportation Demand Management (TDM) plan that will be included in USC’s Sustainability 2028 Plan.
If you have any questions, please contact the Transportation department directly at tsubsidy@usc.edu or see the FAQ page
LA Metro E-Pass
The LA Metro E-Pass is primarily for L.A. basin residents. The E-Pass costs $40/month (already subsidized 50% from the market rate of $80/month) for unlimited rides on Metro buses and rails. Charges are assessed every month, whether or not you use it.
You can use the E-Pass to: Ride Metro bus and rail, Metro Micro (three-year pilot program), Culver City Bus, Foothill Transit (Local Service only), LADOT DASH, Montebello Transit, Norwalk Transit, Pasadena Transit, Gardena Transit, Santa Monica Big Blue Bus and Torrance Transit.
More information about e-pass.
LADOT Commuter Express / Dash
LADOT TAP cards are accepted by 27 transit agencies across LA County! You must acquire a TAP card on your own, and then load your monthly fare onto the card in our office, and we’ll be able to process 50% of the total charges to your account via USC Payroll.
The transit period to load LADOT Commuter Express or Dash passes is from the 25th of the month to the 10th of the following month if paying through USC payroll deduction. If a customer wants to load their card after the transit period, they would be charged in a subsequent payroll period. For more information about fare prices please visit LA DOT fares.
Metro Senior Passes
Similar to LADOT TAP Passes, the transit period to load Metro Senior passes is from the 25th of the month to the 10th of the following month if paying through USC payroll deduction. If a customer wants to load their card after the transit period, they would be charged in a subsequent payroll period. Please fill out the application form and indicate in OTHER that you are a senior. (You are eligible for the senior rate if you are 62+.) You will have to apply directly through LA Metro, or go to their Customer Service Center
Metrolink
The most up-to-date Metrolink monthly fares are available online through their Price Finder wizard. Remember, due to the subsidy, you will be charged HALF the posted rate online through USC payroll deduction.
Once you have been registered for the program, Metrolink passes for any given month must be activated during the first week of the month in which the pass will be used in order for them to be charged properly through USC Payroll. Please make sure to activate your pass during the first week of every month in which you’re going to use it; passes activated AFTER the first week may be subject to being charged in a subsequent biweekly or monthly pay period following activation. Visit Metrolink for more information. PLEASE NOTE: You will NOT be charged for this pass UNLESS you activate it in the app on a monthly basis per the instructions above.
Metrolink Senior Passes
Metrolink senior passes work identically to the normal passes listed/described above. Please note the age cutoff for Metrolink is 65+. If you are a senior, please sign up as normal and then email us at tsubsidy@usc.edu in order to receive the senior rate (proof of age eligibility required). For more information, visit Metrolink Discounts.
NOTE: In accordance with IRS 2019 Publication 15-B (and revision RP-2021-45), only the first $280 per month in transportation-related benefits provided to employees are available on a pre-tax basis. Funds provided in excess of $280 must be distributed using post-tax dollars. Please email Transportation at tsubsidy@usc.edu if you have any questions.