Any young person who continues their education after 16 can apply for the 16 to 19 bursary.

You can apply for the bursary even if you haven’t yet received an offer for September, whether it’s conditional or unconditional.

It's a good idea to submit your application early because you’ll need to provide evidence, and gathering this can take time.

Apply

Applications must be made directly to the college or training provider.

You can find the application form on the college or training provider’s website.

For more details, visit: 

• 16 to 19 Bursary Fund

16 to 19 Bursary guidance for post-16 institutions

This is a link to the guidance for post-16 institutions to use when they are administering the bursary. If an institution is administering the bursary for the first time, see: 

• how to ask a question about the 16 to 19 Bursary Fund from GOV.UK 

If a young person in care (CLA) aged 16 to 18 (years 12 and 13) is not in education, employment, or training (NEET), they can speak to a Careers Adviser from the NEET team for advice on their options in Worcestershire.

You can contact them by:

• phone: 01905 845585
• email: Post16NEET@worcestershire.gov.uk 

If the young person is already in a programme but needs careers advice, they should ask for help from the provider they are working with.

Any CLA young person can also get advice from the Skills4Worcestershire website on post-16 options: 

• Careers and Education (Post 16 Options)

Blended Learning Resource

This project has been commissioned and created by Worcestershire Virtual School and HOW College, and provides useful information on post-16 learning options: 

• Worcestershire Virtual School to HOW College providing useful information about Post-16 learning choices

This resource helps adults supporting young people to understand:

• how to help young people make informed decisions about further education
• the differences between school and further education
• what support is available in further education, such as academic, pastoral, and financial help
• what to expect from post-16 study

Statutory guidance

This is statutory guidance from the Department for Education (the department). A local authority must have regard to it when exercising its functions relating to the participation of young people in education or training.

See statutory guidance below:

• Children Act 1989: transition to adulthood for care leavers (GOV.UK)
• Participation of young people education, employment and training (GOV.UK)