Hartnell College students can ride Monterey-Salinas Transit (MST) buses for FREE during the Fall and Spring semesters!
Starting in 2027, you will have to use a debit or credit card that is compatible with Tap2Ride to ride MST for free.
Whether you’ve used your CatCard to ride in the past or you’re just getting started, sign up now to register a debit or credit card with our transit discount partner, Jawnt.
Registration opens on Saturday, August 22, 2026.
How to Ride MST
- Visit MST.org
- Use Google Maps
- Download the Transit App for Android or Apple
- If you have a technical issue with your card or your ability to register: Contact Jawnt at support@jawntpass.com or (888) 513-5935
- For eligibility or campus-related questions: Contact the Hartnell Office of Student Life at osl@hartnell.edu
- If you need help with the bus routes or the bus: Contact the MST Front desk at (888) MST-BUS1 or (888) 678-2871
Translator/interpreter assistance: (888) 678-2871 / Free language assistance / Asistencia de lenguaje gratuito / Libreng tulong para sa wika
Program FAQ's
In 2027, students of Hartnell College will no longer be able to present your CatCard to the driver to ride MST for free. Instead, you will have to use a debit or credit card that is compatible with MST’s Tap2Ride system. To ensure that eligible students are still able to ride MST for free, we are conducting a pilot in the 2026-2027 school year to transition students to using a compatible debit or credit card so that you can get your student fare in MST’s Tap2Ride system.
All currently enrolled Hartnell students can ride MST for free. At this time, currently enrolled Hartnell students who are 18+ years old may participate in the pilot. If you are under 18, you may continue to use their CatCards as we develop a solution for students under 18.
You can sign up with our transit discount partner, Jawnt, and register your own contactless credit or debit card OR request, pick up, activate, and register a transit-only debit card so that you can use MST’s Tap2Ride system.
This is totally up to you — both are safe, official ways to get free rides on MST
through Hartnell's partnership with Jawnt.
Have a credit or debit card already? Register it in the app for free rides on that
card. Your card info is only used to verify rides — Jawnt never charges it or stores
it insecurely.
Need a debit card or just prefer not to use your own card? Request a free transit-only
debit card instead. It's orange, made specifically for this program, and no funds
can ever be loaded onto it.
No, registered cards cannot be used for multiple riders.
Yes. Neither Hartnell or our transit discount partner, Jawnt, will ever see your card information. Additionally, MST customer service representatives do not have access to full payment card numbers and will answer customer support queries in accordance with PCI (Payment Card Industry) practices.
Emails will come from hello@jawntpass.com and will be sent to your Hartnell email address. Please double check your inbox and spam folders for emails from that address. If you still have not received an email, please contact Jawnt at support@jawntpass.com or (888) 513-5935.
You can log in from a computer or phone by going to https://bit.ly/hc-mst.
No. During the pilot, you must use a physical card to tap. If you tap with your mobile wallet, you will get charged the full MST fare.
Great question! The exact timeline is still being determined, but rest assured plenty of notice will be given. We strongly recommend signing up for this new, easy way to get your free fare today, though, to get used to the new system.