<p>In my limited experience, Catch a Ride is much less expensive than Amtrak, if the schedule works for you. Another (possibly crazy, but not costly) option could be to take SEPTA to Philly and then to Trenton and then NJT into NYC. A bit tedious, I would think, but the student could do work the whole way (?) We used to live in Philly and would take SEPTA/NJT into New York … this just adds another leg.</p>