16 to 19 education and skills funding
Information for schools, colleges, local authorities and independent learning providers about 16 to 19 funding arrangements.
16 to 19 funding in academic year 2025 to 2026
This is an overview of 16 to 19 funding in academic year 2025 to 2026 showing what’s new or changed.
Our page shows the national funding rates for the academic year. The national funding rate is an important part of the funding formula. It’s the amount per student, depending on their funding band, that we pay.
You’ll also find information on how to submit a business case for significant data errors.
16 to 19 funding in academic year 2024 to 2025
This is an overview of 16 to 19 funding in academic year 2024 to 2025 showing what’s new or changed.
Our page shows the national funding rates for the academic year. The national funding rate is an important part of the funding formula. It’s the amount per student, depending on their funding band, that we pay.
You’ll also find information on how to submit a business case for significant data errors.
16 to 19 funding formula
We use the 16 to 19 funding formula to fund institutions to deliver study programmes and T Levels to their students. There are several elements within the 16 to 19 funding formula that make up the core programme funding and total programme funding.
The pages listed in this section are all part of the funding formula. Our ‘16 to 19 funding: how it works’ page explains the funding formula in detail, including a diagram.
We use the formula to calculate how much funding we will pay you each year. We show you this amount in an allocation statement that we upload to Document exchange before the start of each academic year.
Funding agreements and contracts
We have a funding agreement or contract in place for each of the education and training providers we fund. The terms of the agreement or contract vary according to the type of education and/or training provision and the legal status of the entity.
This page contains grant funding agreements and contracts.
Funding allocations
We calculate funding allocations for the institutions we fund. A funding allocation is the amount of funding we will pay you for an academic year. We issue allocations through Document exchange.
Allocation guidance
Our allocation guidance explains the steps we take to calculate your funding allocation using your data that you return to us.
Allocation calculation toolkit
Your allocation calculation toolkit (ACT) is a spreadsheet full of your data. You can see how we’ve used it to calculate your funding elements and lagged student number for your allocation. Our guidance explains how to use your ACT file.
Published funding allocation data
You can view institutional level funding allocation data for the last 4 years. You can view older, archived funding allocations on the National Archives website.
Funding calculations
The purpose of this guidance is to show, at technical implementation level, the specification behind 16 to 19 funding calculations for young people.
The funding calculations from 2017 to 2018 onwards have been created using oracle policy modelling (OPM) technology. OPM builds business rules in the form of a rule base which is then deployed using the oracle policy automation (OPA) engine.
This guidance contains the OPA rule base source documents for the funding for young people calculation used by the funding information service (FIS).
Funding claims
Colleges and independent training providers return individualised learner record (ILR) data for their 16 to 19 funding. We take the data from your final R14 submission and show it in your final claim.
It’s a contractual requirement for the principal or delegated authority to sign the R14 final claim each year. Our funding claims guidance in this section sets out the actual deadline and how to do this.
It is important that you submit this claim accurately and on time.
Funding guidance and regulations
We publish 3 sets of annual guidance that all education institutions receiving 16 to 19 formula funding must comply with.
Funding regulations
The funding regulations guide provides the funding principles, rules on eligibility and other regulations used in the 16 to 19 funding model.
Rates and formula
The rates and formula guide provides information on the funding rates and formula used for 16 to 19 funding calculations.
Individualised learner record (ILR) funding returns
The ILR funding returns guide gives advice about ILR returns for institutions receiving 16 to 19 funding.
Financial support that institutions can provide for students
We provide advice for institutions on the financial support young people may be able to access to help them participate in education and training.
You can access information on:
- 16 to 19 Bursary Fund
- Care to Learn
- Dance and Drama Awards
- discretionary bursaries
- free meals in further education
- residential support
These pages are aimed at institutions providing financial support to young people.
Young people, parents and carers will find the following pages useful for support on eligibility and how to claim funding: