Working with universities brings many benefits to you, your school and students and, arguably, the most impactful collaborations are those that take place outside of school or college – on university campuses, at road-shows and fairs. These are the activities that provide a first-hand insight into the possibilities and opportunities afforded by Higher Education.

Inevitably however, factors such as cost and resources – in terms of teacher time and planning - can be a major obstacle for those of you wanting to reap the benefits of off-site events. The good news is that in lots of instances the costs of travel to such events can be paid for by universities or other organisations.

Some universities will fund the costs of transport - including coaches, mini buses and individual student travel. It is important to check the eligibility criteria attached to transport funding – for instance there may be minimum/maximum numbers, it may only be available for specific age groups, and other factors such as distance and Widening Participation criteria may be applied.

In addition to universities, other organisations may be able to pay for your transport costs. For example, What university Live? and What Career Live? events provide transport subsidies for school and college coaches. These are national events that take place in London, Birmingham and Liverpool throughout the year.

Who is responsible for organising the transport to university events is another matter, and one which should be discussed with individual institutions. Each university will have its own administrative procedures for booking transport so as part of the overall booking process ensure you discuss this with the event organiser. However, it is likely that you’ll be expected to book your own transport and then submit an invoice for payment.

When tasked with planning a university trip or visit, there are many other factors to consider, in addition to transport. Here’s a few things to think about along the way:

• Programme of event and activities, including timings and start and finish times
• Advance booking procedures for your school and students
• Health and Safety requirements including event risk assessments and parental consents
• Lunch arrangements
• Preparing students to get the most out of the event
• Evaluation of the event to measure impact

Closing note from UniTasterDays - if you would like to discuss a visit to a university (with a university), you've found the best place! Just include a note regarding any support for transport in your enquiry, and universities can consider that in their response!