SOME of the county s poorest students – many living in East Cambridgeshire – may have to pay £65 a term from next year to use public transport to get to college. Cambridgeshire County Council says a policy is being developed to introduce a charge for po

SOME of the county's poorest students - many living in East Cambridgeshire - may have to pay £65 a term from next year to use public transport to get to college.

Cambridgeshire County Council says a "policy is being developed" to introduce a charge for post-16 students from low income families effective from September 2008.

"Currently such students qualify for free transport," said Claire Buckingham, assistant education officer. "It is proposed that the charge would be the same as that paid by pupils from low-income families who purchase spare seats on contract buses, which is currently £65 per term."

The measure is one of many being looked at by the county council to tackle an overspend last year of £750,000 on school transport.

A report is expected to go to councillors in September and the public will then be consulted.