Applying for home-to-college transport (over-16s)

On this page you’ll find guidance to help you with applying for home-to-college (or other place of education) transport for over-16s.

You can complete a home to college application online.

Our definition of a new course is one where the named qualification, learning aims, outcomes, unit/course code, or title of the course differ to the previous year.  For example, an ‘A’ level in maths delivered over 2 years, with the qualification awarded only at the completion of the second year, is considered a continuing course.

Where a student follows a programme of study, such as a Level 1 course the first year and progresses on to the Level 2 the next; or completes a series of courses where the outcomes differ each year and there is no requirement to progress to the second or further years to successfully complete each year; this is not considered a continuing course. This is in addition to meeting the general SEN Post 16 travel assistance criteria laid out for those continuing on a particular course.

Transport from home to college/place of education will usually only be provided up to the age of 19, where a young person has an Education Health and Care Plan.  Students over the age of 19 on a continuing course, who meet the criteria for exceptional and significant circumstances, may also apply.

When a student over the age of 19 years with an Education Health and Care Plan starts a new course, they should initially apply to Adult Services, who have transport guidelines document which can be found on the Portsmouth City Council Local Offer.

We will assess why it is necessary for the Local Authority to make the travel arrangements, rather than the student or the student’s family. The decision will be based on information provided by the student or the parent/carer and must be included in any social care and health assessment or Education Health and Care Plan. Please note that we would not generally consider work or childcare commitments as an exceptional reason for travel assistance to be provided.

We will consider, amongst other factors:

• What other arrangements have been considered or tried and why they are not suitable e.g. eligibility support from Adult Services. The Adult Services transport policy can be found here.
• Whether there is a family member/carer who could transport the student and why it would not be a reasonable arrangement to make
• If the student is in receipt of higher rate mobility component of the Personal Independence Payment or Disability Living Allowance, the purpose of which is to assist those who have mobility problems with severe difficulties from walking or who need help getting around, why this should not be used to facilitate transport to a learning provider.
• If there is a Motability vehicle to support the student to reach their education placement, we would normally expect the carer/student to make their own appropriate alternative arrangements, or provide details as to why this is not possible/reasonable.

Assistance with transport for students with learning difficulties will be reviewed annually and a new application will need to be completed each year.

Where transport assistance is considered necessary, we will always seek to provide this in the most cost-effective way.