Your child may be able to get assistance with transport costs to go to sixth form or college in the form of a Post 16 fixed term grant of £150 per academic year.
To be eligible, a student must meet all four of these criteria:
* A qualifying low-income family is one where a student entitled to Free School Meals or whose parents are in receipt of one of the qualifying benefits: maximum level of Working Tax Credit or or maximum Universal Credit.
* The distance from a qualifying school/college is measured one way in the morning, door to door, using public transport.
* A qualifying school/college is any one of the following:
Please note: we don’t take availability or location of courses into account. We will only provide assistance to the student’s nearest educational establishment as described above and if the qualifying criteria are met.
| Key dates | Key steps |
|---|---|
| Apply for a school transport grant by 15 September | You have to apply each academic year for the school/college transport grant: Apply online for the 2025/26 academic year |
| Transport grant decision: 31 October | For each academic year we aim to inform you of our decision by 31 October.^ |
You can use the online form above to provide proof of eligibility for Free School Meals, or receipt of the maximum amount of Working Tax Credits.
^Note: If you apply for the grant after 15 September, your application will be processed as a late application, in date-received order.
You may be able to get season tickets and discounted fares on public transport for your child’s journey to school/college.
Some commercial bus operators run ‘School specials’, ask the school or college for more information.
Use the Choose How You Move journey planner to see what public transport services run between your home and your child’s school or college. Once you’ve found a service, check with the bus company that provides it to see if there are any season ticket discounts.
The Mainstream home to school/college transport policy includes detailed information on all aspects of the service, please refer to this before applying.
