Advice: funding regulations for post-16 provision
Guidance on post-16 education and skills funding regulations for the current and previous funding years.
Applies to England
Documents
Details
Funding regulations for post-16 provision 2024 to 2025
This guidance covers the period 1 August 2024 to 31 July 2025 for all types of providers (except for academies whose funded year is 1 September 2024 to 31 August) and is our current advice for the funding year.
We have made the following additions and updates to this guidance:
- some minor wording clarifications in respect of student eligibility in paragraphs 34 and 35
- paragraph 52 amended to make it clear that elective home-educated students should only be enrolled on part-time studies
- paragraph 187 confirms that traineeships have ceased for 16 to 19 study programme funding
- in section 6, we have confirmed the subcontracting advice, which applies to all subcontracting by schools
- in section 7 we have updated condition of funding advice on minimum teaching hours (paragraphs 212 to 214 and further planned changes from 2025 to 2026 (paragraphs 221 and 222)
- in annex B, we have updated the compliance evidence for term-time bank holidays
Funding regulations for post-16 provision 2023 to 2024
This guidance covers the period 1 August 2023 to 31 July 2024 and is our current advice for the funding year.
We have made the following additions and updates to this guidance:
Student eligibility
- confirmation that those coming to UK as foreign tourists are ineligible for 16 to 19 funding
T Levels and traineeships
- see section 7 for confirmation that the condition of funding requirements now also apply to students undertaking T Levels
- from 1 August 2023, we will no longer fund a standalone national traineeships programme. Traineeship provision will be integrated into 16 to 19 study programme and adult education provision from 1 August 2023. The last start date for traineeships under the current programme is 31 July 2023. Traineeships started on or before this date will continue to be funded as set out in this guidance.
Funding regulations for post-16 provision 2022 to 2023
The guidance covers the periods 1 August 2022 to 31 July 2023 and is our current advice for the funding year.
We have made the following additions and updates to this guidance:
- new advice on additional hours.
- planned hours for study programmes
- funding principles on when planned hours require adjustment
- recording planned hours where (changes are required through the funding year
- recording planned hours where (changes are required within first six weeks) in previous years some of this advice was in the rates book
- condition of funding detailed advice is now in section 7 (moved from 2021 to 2022 regulations annex D).
Funding regulations for post-16 provision 2021 to 2022
The guidance covers the period 1 August 2021 to 31 July 2022. It is our current advice for this and the next funding year.
We know that providers are working through exceptional circumstances due to coronavirus (COVID-19). We may publish further updates to this guidance document about the impact of coronavirus (COVID-19) on our funding regulations as these become clear. We will also tell you about any changes in our ESFA Update.
You might find our published information about what colleges and other providers need to do during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak useful.
We have made the following updates to the funding regulations guide for 2021 to 2022:
- updated student eligibility advice for EU and EEA students
- updated our advice on repeat year funding and published new, additional guidance on this
- included advice on our specific subcontracting restrictions for 16 to 19 delivery, which is now also published in subcontracting funding rules for ESFA funded post 16 funding (Excluding Apprenticeships)
Updates to this page
Published 10 March 2014Last updated 17 May 2024 + show all updates
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We have updated the funding regulations for 2024 to 2025 and added the changes to the what's new section. Section 6: subcontracting now includes all our subcontracting advice for schools and academies. Our advice on terms that must be included in contracts for subcontracting is set out in paragraphs 203 to 205 for schools and academies.
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We have added the guidance document Advice: funding regulations for post-16 provision 2024 to 2025.
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We have added Advice: funding regulations for post-16 provision 2023 to 2024. We have made the following additions and updates to this guidance: Student eligibility • confirmation that those coming to UK as foreign tourists are ineligible for 16 to 19 funding T Levels and Traineeships • see Section 7 for confirmation that the Condition of funding requirements now also apply to students undertaking T Levels • from 1 August 2023, we will no longer fund a standalone national traineeships programme. Traineeship provision will be integrated into 16 to 19 study programme and adult education provision from 1 August 2023. The last start date for traineeships under the current programme is 31 July 2023. Traineeships started on or before this date will continue to be funded as set out in this guidance.
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We have updated the Advice: funding regulations for post-16 provision 2022 to 2023 guidance document.
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We have published a powerpoint to support the ESFA funding guidance for young people 2021 to 2023.
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The Student eligibility and funding advice for 2021 to 2023 presentation is now live.
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Added funding regulations for post-16 provision 2022 to 2023, removed November 2020 advice that may apply to either funding year.
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We have updated the following advice in respect of recording and evidencing the delivery of non-qualification hours (excludes students flagged as either High needs and/or Education Health Care (EHC) plan) in paragraphs 107 and 124. The advice in Annex B includes a new table B2. We have made a minor clarification to advice in Annex C Question and Answer 15, to make clearer that students must not be funded or any planned hours recorded for any overlap periods between study programmes, and apprenticeships funding at the same (or financially related) funded institutions or their subcontractors.
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We have updated student eligibility advice for EU and EEA students, updated our advice on repeat year funding and included advice on our specific subcontracting restrictions for 16 to 19 delivery.
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We have published the funding regulations advice for post 16 provision for 2021 to 2022.
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We have updated the Funding regulations for post-16 provision 2020 to 2021 to include advice on coronavirus (COVID-19) and impact on 'Planned hours for 2020 to 2021'
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We have updated the Funding regulations for post-16 provision for 2020 to 2021 to include provision for the high value courses for 18 and 19 year olds one year offer
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We have updated the PowerPoint presentations for the funding regulations for post-16 provision 2019 to 2020. These now include allowances for the impacts of coronavirus (COVID-19) including the use of electronic registration systems and alternative evidence to wet signatures already published in the funding regulations document
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We have published the Funding regulations for 2020 to 2021 and updated the regulations for 2019 to 2020 to account for the use of electronic recruitment and delivery systems during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic
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We have updated the funding regulations for 2019 to 2020 to clarify advice to institutions
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We have uploaded a presentation that summarises student eligibility rules for 2019 to 2020
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We have uploaded the funding regulations for post 16 provision guidance document for 2019 to 2020 and removed older years' guidance
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To help explain our guidance we have added a powerpoint presentation about post-16 funding regulations for 2018 to 2019.
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Student eligibility guidance presentation for 2018 to 2019 has been added.
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the 16 to 19 funding regulations guidance for 2018 to 2019 has been added
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Funding regulations and funding advice presentation for 2017 to 2018 has been added.
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Added a presentation to support the student eligibility elements of the funding guidance for young people
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Advice: funding regulations for post-16 provision 2017 to 2018 has been added
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Minor update to 16 to 19 funding guidance to reflect the recently published sub-contracting guidance.
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Funding guidance for young people 2016 to 2017 has been added.
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Added 15 16 guidance
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2014 to 2015 version added to page
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First published.