From education to employment

Funding education for 16- to 19-year-olds

Information for 16 to 19 education institutions funded by Education and Skills Funding Agency explaining the funding system.

The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) funds education and training for 16 to 19 year olds through institutions such as schools and academies with sixth-forms, further education colleges, special post-16 institutions (SPI), independent learning providers (ILPs) and special schools. We also fund some private institutions such as those specialising in the arts for example dance and drama. Young people aged up to 25 who have a education, health and care plan (EHCP) are funded as if they are aged 16 to 19.

This section provides information on:

  • how 16 to 19 funding works
  • updates to 16 to 19 funding policy
  • what institutions can expect when they deliver 16 to 19 education funded through the ESFA, and
  • audit and other contractual requirements

This section also explains how we:

  • how we calculate 16 to 19 funding
  • the rules you should follow in using your funding
  • how we apply the funding formula to different institutions and different types of study programmes
  • the types of student support funds available, and
  • the criteria for specialist programmes that are currently running

16 to 19 funding: news and updates

You can read the latest actions and information about 16 to 19 funding in our weekly ESFA update. Remember we also update our timeline for the academic year.

  1. 16 to 19 education: funding allocations
    • Guidance
  2. ESFA Update further education: 4 September 2019
  3. Chancellor announces £400 million investment for 16-19 year olds’ education
    • News story

16 to 19 funding: how it works

The ESFA funds study programmes for all 16 to 19 year olds. Study programmes are individually designed for each young person so they can achieve their aspirations for sustainable paid work, further or higher education, an apprenticeship or a traineeship. This section explains how 16 to 19 funding works along with some technical detail on the funding of study programmes.

  1. 16 to 19 funding: how it works
    • Guidance
  2. 16 to 19 funding: planned hours in study programmes
    • Guidance
  3. 16 to 19 funding study programmes: work experience
    • Guidance

16 to 19 funding: allocations to institutions

Information for colleges, providers, schools and academies about their 16 to 19 revenue funding allocations.

  1. 16 to 19 education: funding allocations
    • Guidance
  2. 16 to 19 funding allocations supporting documents for 2019 to 2020
    • Guidance

16 to 19 funding: market entry

Information about how to get ESFA funding for 16 to 19 education and training.

  1. 16 to 19 education: market entry
    • Guidance

16 to 19: audit and other contractual requirements

Information about the intervention actions available to the ESFA.

  1. ESFA post-16: intervention and accountability
    • Guidance
  2. 16 to 19 education: financial management and assurance
    • Guidance

16 to 19 funding: guidance

All 16 to 19 education institutions receiving ESFA formula funding should comply with the following guidance documents.

  1. 16 to 19 education: funding guidance
    • Guidance
  2. ESFA list of qualifications approved for funding 14 to 19
    • Guidance
  3. 16 to 19 funding: large programme uplift
    • Guidance
  4. 16 to 19 funding: maths and English condition of funding
    • Guidance
  5. Post-16: basic maths premium pilot
    • Guidance
  6. 16 to 19 funding: advanced maths premium
    • Guidance

High needs students

Information on high needs funding for local authorities and institutions, including academies, for students aged 16 to 18, or 19 to 25 with an EHCP is available on GOV.UK. Guidance for young people with high needs aged 19 and above without an EHCP is also available .

  1. High needs funding arrangements: 2020 to 2021
    • Guidance
  2. High needs funding arrangements: 2019 to 2020
    • Guidance

Home educated students and 14 to 16 year olds in FE and sixth-form colleges

Students aged 14 to 16 years old are able to directly enrol at further education and sixth-form colleges to study high-quality vocational qualifications alongside general qualifications including English and mathematics within the Key Stage 4 curriculum. Students and parents can find details of participating colleges on the ‘enrolment of 14 to 16 year-olds in full-time further education’ page of GOV.UK.

We also fund home educated students of compulsory school age when they do a part time course at a FE institution. Home educated students are also known as elective home educated (EHE) students. Further information on funding of 14 to 16 year olds can be found in the guidance below.

  1. Full-time enrolment of 14 to 16 year olds in further education and sixth-form colleges
    • Guidance

16 to 19 education: independent learning providers

Information for Independent Learning Providers (ILPs) funded by ESFA.

  1. 16 to 19 education: independent learning providers
    • Guidance

Delivering traineeships through ESFA funding

We fund traineeships through institutions having a contract/grant funding agreement. The following information is designed to support institutions in understanding traineeships for the 2018 to 2019 academic year.

  1. ESFA funded 16 to 18 traineeships
    • Guidance

Industry placements

Information for 16 to 19 institutions for industry placement capacity and delivery funding.

  1. Industry placements: capacity and delivery fund (CDF) for academic year 2019 to 2020 for providers not in receipt of CDF in 2018 to 2019 academic year
    • Guidance
  2. Industry placements: capacity and delivery fund (CDF) for 2019 to 2020 for providers in receipt of CDF in academic year 2018 to 2019
    • Guidance
  3. T Levels: next steps for providers
    • Guidance
  4. Closed: Invitation to express an interest to deliver T levels in 2020 to 2021 academic year
    • Guidance
  5. Work placements – capacity and delivery fund from April 2018 to July 2019
    • Guidance
  6. Industry placement capacity and delivery fund: principles for high quality industry placements for 2018 to 2019
    • Guidance

16 to 19 funding: financial support for students

We fund a number of schemes that provide financial support for young people to help them participate in education and training. These ‘student support’ schemes can help eligible young people with the costs of their education. The schemes are:

  1. 16 to 19 education: financial support for students
    • Guidance
  2. Dance and drama awards: income scales
    • Guidance

Published 10 March 2014
Last updated 3 October 2019 + show all updates

  1. We have added the high needs funding arrangements for 2020 to 2021
  2. Latest news been added
  3. First published.

Related Articles

Responses