Post-16 Transport and the 16-19 Bursary Scheme

Find out if your child is eligible for support.

Our Post-16 Transport Policy Statement (PDF , 1MB) explains what provision is available for sixth-form age students. The council only makes direct provision for children from low-income families or with special educational needs, who meet the eligibility criteria. 

In the first instance, students should contact their post-16 education provider to check whether a seat may be available through the post-16 Spare Capacity Scheme.

Qualifying as ‘low income’

To qualify as 'low-income' in years 12 and 13, the student must satisfy the criteria set out in the policy statement, and:

  • be under the age of 19 years on 1 September 2025
  • have applied for a full-time course (a minimum of 17 hours per week)
  • live over three miles from their catchment sixth form
  • live over three miles from their nearest college offering the vocational area they are studying

Making a low-income application

To apply, you must complete the Post-16 Transport Low Income Application Form for 2025 to 2026 (DOCX, 2MB)

Before sending your application, you should read the Criteria for Low-Income Post-16 Transport (PDF , 47KB).

Please email your completed form to school.transport@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk.

16-19 Bursary Fund (government scheme)

The government operate a 16-19 Bursary Fund and you could get a bursary to help with education-related costs if you are aged 16 to 19 and:

  • studying at a publicly funded school or college in England - not a university
  • on a training course, including unpaid work experience

A publicly funded school is one that does not charge you for attending it.

If you are 19 and over

You could also get a bursary if you either:

What a bursary is for

A bursary is money that you, or your education or training provider, can use to pay for things like:

  • clothing, books, and other equipment for your course
  • transport and lunch on days you study or train

You can find an overview of the 16 to 19 Bursary Fund on GOV.UK.

16 to 19 Education Travel Bursary Fund (Westmorland and Furness scheme)

Westmorland and Furness Council has committed £300,000 for an Education Travel Bursary scheme for the 2025-2026 academic year. 

The scheme provides financial support to help students and apprentices with transport costs. It is not intended for households where there is an additional rate taxpayer.

The scheme covers:

  • public transport
  • taxis
  • bicycles
  • fuel costs for private transport
  • 50% of the cost for the Post 16 spare seat scheme

The bursary has limited funds. We may have to restrict allocations depending on demand. We will keep this under review.

Eligibility

Either the student or the parent/guardian should apply. We will only accept one application per young person.

For a household with more than one student travelling by car to the same place on the same days, only one application will be accepted.

To be eligible for the scheme, you or the person you're applying on behalf of, must:

  • be under the age of 19 on 1 September 2026
  • live in the Westmorland and Furness area
  • incur travel costs to access school/college/other education
  • not be or will be in receipt of any other funding for school/college/other education transport costs

We will prioritise support for:

  • students who received the bursary in 2024-2025 and are going into the second year of their course
  • Cared for Children and Care leavers
  • Young people with an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP) who have a supported internship
  • students using public transport
  • students using a combination of public and private transport

How the scheme works

The bursary works on a sliding scale. How much you could receive depends on how far you have to travel to your place of education.

The final amount is pro rata, depending on how many days you attend college or school.

Make an application

The scheme has now closed. We'll update this information if applications are open again for the 2025 to 2026 academic year. 

If you have any questions, please contact the School Transport Team:

Email: school.transport@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk 
Telephone: 0300 303 1591 (option 2)

Alternative support

A2B NowCard 

This reduced-fare bus travel card is for children and young people aged five to 20 living in Westmorland and Furness, to help them access leisure, sports, social participation and culture outside school travel times. It is valid on local bus services within Westmorland and Furness and entitles holders to bus travel for £1.80 (single) and £3 (return).

If the normal fare is less than this, travellers will pay the normal fare. Application forms for the A2B NowCard are available at all libraries in Westmorland and Furness or can be downloaded at: A2B NowCard.