Post-16 Transport Policy Statement 2025-2026

1. The Staffordshire Post 16 travel assistance scheme is for students who are resident in Staffordshire only. Students living outside of Staffordshire should approach their own local council.
2. The course must be funded by the local authority – travel support is not given to students paying fees for their tuition or attending a course as part of a paid apprenticeship.
3. Students must be studying full-time (16 hours or more timetabled sessions per week) - the course can be at entry level or at level 1, 2, or 3. Travel assistance is not given to higher education courses  

(level 4 and above, such as Foundation Degrees or Higher National Diplomas)   

4. If the nearest suitable learning provider offering the course is in another local authority area, then students will still qualify for assistance providing all other eligibility criteria are met.
5. When considering if a course is available, we take into account – the end qualification awarded, not the individual units taken; the learning provider having a place available to offer to you on that course; you meet the entry requirements demanded by that provider; that the location meets any requirements you have as a result of any learning difficulty or disability you may have.
6. Students who reach the age of 19 whilst continuing a course remain eligible until the end of that academic year for travel support (different arrangements apply for those with learning difficulties and disabilities please see ‘LA support for Learners with special educational needs or a disability’)
7. Suitability of travel support will be determined by us – this will be based upon balancing reasonable costs and reasonable travel/waiting times and enables you to access your main registered learning base during school/college days at their general start/finish times. This could mean that you may not receive travel assistance for the quickest or most convenient transport.
8. The contribution rate is fixed regardless of the number of days travelling, the distance travelled or cost to the Council
9. For students with a learning difficulty or a disability, the need for specialised transport and the type of transport required due to an inability to walk or use public transport (even if accompanied) will be based upon information obtained from the school, college, or Education, Health and Care Plan and any other appropriate professional(s).
10. Students using the scheme are expected to make their own way to the nearest pickup point/bus stop/train station up to 1 mile away from the home address or destination if required (this requirement may be waived due to a student’s learning difficulty or disability).
11. Any public bus pass issued under this scheme will provide travel at a minimum during term time only between home and your place of learning.
12. Travel assistance is not given to attend work placements or work experience.
13. We will provide travel assistance from your main home address to your registered base only, to enable attendance for the general start/finish times of the academic day.  Travel to other sites or work placements or to and from other addresses, is not covered by this scheme.  Travel to your registered base outside standard hours to attend activities that are not essential to passing your course is not covered by this scheme.
14. Any travel pass issued under the scheme remains the property of Staffordshire County Council and must be returned if a student leaves school or college. Should you lose your pass a charge will be made for a replacement.
15. By making an application for travel assistance, you are making an agreement with the County Council that you will make the required contribution payment. Please be aware that should you fail to keep to this agreement by not making any payment due on time, or any arrangement agreed for payment of arrears is not maintained, then the assistance we have arranged (including any contracted transport) will be withdrawn following a 4 calendar weeks’ notice period, and action will take place to recover any outstanding debt. Additionally, in the following year, the required annual contribution would need to be paid in full, and an agreement made to pay any outstanding arrears before travel assistance is arranged. If this doesn’t take place, travel assistance may take the form of a payment of a mileage-based payment towards the cost of you making your own travel arrangements (usually paid in arrears), with the required annual contribution for that year deducted from the amount paid to you.  We may also deduct any outstanding arrears for the previous academic year from the mileage payments.
16. Unacceptable behaviour such as fighting, bullying or foul language whilst using transport may result in the pass being withdrawn. Parents will be held responsible for any damage caused and may be charged for it.
17. It can take up to 20 working days for the pass to be issued. Claims for payment of travel costs before 20 working days after receipt of your payment and photographs where applicable will not be accepted. No backdated claims for payment will be accepted.  If a travel allowance/budget is being paid, we will confirm to you in writing the date that payment will commence.
18. However long your course is, you must make a new application for travel assistance each year unless otherwise advised.
19. You must notify the Authority if you change address or your course of study.
20. If you have any dispute regarding our decisions, please follow appeals process
      

Support for all students who are capable of walking or using public transport (accompanied as necessary) – known as the ‘post 16 support scheme’  

Support is offered to a student meeting the general terms and conditions and -   

• Who meets the low-income criteria. A low income is where the student or their parent is in receipt of a benefit that leads to the receipt of free school meals or where the family receive the maximum amount of working tax credit (‘deduction due to income’ will be 0.00 on your tax credit award notice) and
• Is studying at the nearest school, college or Local Authority funded learning provider offering the course, or catchment school, which is between 3 and 15 miles away  

In return for a contribution of £632 towards the cost we will provide a pass for public transport or a seat (if one is available and can legally be sold) on an existing route contracted either by Staffordshire County Council, the school or the college. The price is reviewed each year and can be paid in instalments.  

Students may be required to travel up to one mile to or from the pickup/drop off point to complete your journey  

For information, the average gross cost per student to Staffordshire County Council of providing travel assistance for the academic year 2023-24 was £1126 for a student attending a mainstream school

LA support for Learners with special travel needs due to special educational needs or a disability  

The following applies for students with special educational needs or a disability in addition to the general terms and conditions -   

• Have their nineteenth birthday on or after 1 September 2025 or continuing a course begun before the day of their nineteenth birthday (see definition) and
• Their learning difficulty or disability prevents them from walking to school or college or from using public transport, even if accompanied (the parent/carer is responsible for making any necessary arrangements for this) and
• The student is attending the Local Authority defined nearest suitable school, college or Local Authority funded training provider offering the course as specified and named in the Education, Health and Care Plan, regardless of the distance to travel. Should you have any query regarding the establishment named within the EHCP, please contact your Key Worker.   

If a student is eligible for support, in return for a contribution of £800 (or £632 for low-income students) the necessary travel assistance would be provided (this may be in the form of payment of a Personal Travel Assistance Budget to enable you to make your own travel arrangements).  A low income is where the student or their parent is in receipt of a benefit that leads to the receipt of free school meals We may decide to provide travel assistance through the offer of a personal travel budget and the student/family will be responsible for making their own travel arrangements.  

For information the average gross cost per student to Staffordshire County Council of providing travel assistance for the academic year 2023-24 was -  

• £9995 for a student with learning difficulties and disabilities attending a school
• £11,509 for a student with learning difficulties and disabilities attending a college
   

Students with an Education, Health and Care Plan starting a new course over the age of 19  

In addition to the conditions for students with an EHCP under the age of 19, the following also applies to students with an Education, Health and Care plan beginning a new course over the age of 19 and under the age of 25. An assessment will be made as to why it is necessary for the council to make travel arrangements. The decision is based upon information provided by the parent/carer and previously provided within any Social Care and Health Assessment or Education, Health and Care Plan. We will consider, amongst other things –    

• What other arrangements you have considered or tried and why they are not suitable.
• If there is a family member/carer who is able to transport the student and why it would not be a reasonable arrangement to make.
• If the student is in receipt of higher rate mobility component of the Personal Independence Payment or Disability Living Allowance, the purpose of which is to assist those who have mobility problems, with severe difficulty walking or who need help getting around outside. We would normally expect this benefit to be fully utilised and if there are any factors limiting its use you should provide details of them.
• If there is a 'Motability' vehicle which the student may or may not be driver. If a decision has been made to not use the 'Motability' vehicle to support the student to reach their education placement, we would normally expect the carer/student to make their own appropriate alternative arrangements or provide details as to why that is not possible/reasonable.
• Any other exceptional circumstances that you consider need to be taken into account and consider any supporting evidence that you provide.
• Please note that we would not generally consider work or childcare commitments on their own as an exceptional reason for travel assistance to be provided.
• Should it be deemed necessary for the authority to arrange a vehicle for travel assistance support there will be no charge to the student. However, if support is agreed is via the payment of a mileage allowance or personal travel budget, a contribution is required towards the cost at the same rate as for those under the age of 19.

What is a new course, and what is a continuing course?  

Our definition of a new course is one where the named qualification, learning aims, outcomes, unit/course code or title of the course differ to the previous year. For example, an A level in maths delivered over 2 years (the qualification being awarded only at the end of completion of the second year) is considered a continuing course.  

Where a student follows a programme of study such as a level 1 course the first year, and progresses on to the level 2 the next, or completes a series of courses where the outcomes differ each year and there is no requirement to progress to the second or further years to successfully complete each year, this is not considered a continuing course.

Refunds

Should you leave your course and require a refund you must return your pass to Transport & the Connected County. Refunds will not be made until the pass has been received. An administration fee of £10 may be deducted.