Sixth form (16 to 19) bursary policy: what to publish on your school website
If your school has a sixth form, your website needs your 16 to 19 bursary fund policy, saying who can get help, what's on offer and how to apply.
Check this on my websiteWho it applies to
- Published on
- The school's own website
- School type
- Academies and maintained schools
- School stage
- All stages, from early years to sixth form
- Only applies to
- Schools with a sixth form
- Does not apply to
- No school types are excluded
When it's due
Keep it up to date
There's no fixed date. Update it whenever something changes.
What's needed
Publish your 16 to 19 bursary fund policy on the sixth form page on your website, setting out who is eligible, the help on offer, how to apply and any application deadline.
What it must contain
7 parts- Sets out clear eligibility criteriaMust: Required by law, statutory guidance or the academy's funding agreement.
- Lists the types of help it offers through the bursary fundMust: Required by law, statutory guidance or the academy's funding agreement.
- Gives the application deadline date, if it sets oneMust: Required by law, statutory guidance or the academy's funding agreement.
- States that its support comes from the 16 to 19 Bursary FundMust: Required by law, statutory guidance or the academy's funding agreement.
- Makes clear to students that funding is not guaranteedShould: Recommended in official guidance, such as the DfE's. Not a legal requirement in itself.
- Encourages young carers with a financial need to applyMust: Required by law, statutory guidance or the academy's funding agreement.
- States that help is funded by the school, not the bursary, if it offers free or subsidised travelMust: Required by law, statutory guidance or the academy's funding agreement.
What the official sources say
Set out in 1 official source:
16 to 19 Bursary Fund guide: 2026 to 2027
You must publish a policy or statement setting out how you will use your bursary fund.
Must: Required by law, statutory guidance or the academy's funding agreement.§ 6. Publishing bursary fund policies
Your eligibility criteria must be clear.
Must: Required by law, statutory guidance or the academy's funding agreement.§ 6. Publishing bursary fund policies
Show 9 more from this source
The policy document must state that the support available is from the 16 to 19 Bursary Fund and you must be mindful of this if you: – develop your own financial support branding – use your own funding to enhance your bursary offer to students
Must: Required by law, statutory guidance or the academy's funding agreement.§ 6. Publishing bursary fund policies
Bursary fund policies must clearly set out what type of help you offer, for example: – help with transport, books and equipment costs – contributions to the costs of attending industry placements, university interviews or open days – UCAS application fees – top-up to Care to Learn funding for childcare, where necessary and appropriate – essential field trips to achieve or support study programme goals or course objectives
Must: Required by law, statutory guidance or the academy's funding agreement.§ 6. Publishing bursary fund policies
You must state any specific deadline date in your application form and include it in your bursary policy.
Must: Required by law, statutory guidance or the academy's funding agreement.§ 7. Managing bursary fund applications
You must ensure your forms avoid any terminology such as ‘guaranteed bursary’ or wording such as ‘you will automatically get a bursary of £1,200 if you are in one of the defined groups’.
Must: Required by law, statutory guidance or the academy's funding agreement.§ 4.6 Young people eligible for defined vulnerable group bursary but without financial need
You must: – ensure confidentiality to reduce these concerns – publicise the availability of help from the bursary fund – encourage young carers to apply where they have a financial need
Must: Required by law, statutory guidance or the academy's funding agreement.§ 17.4 Young people with caring responsibilities
If you use non-bursary funds to subsidise or provide free travel for your non-bursary students, you must state clearly that this is an offer from the institution and not bursary funded.
Must: Required by law, statutory guidance or the academy's funding agreement.§ 5.1 Costs that are not eligible for bursary funds
The document should be available early enough for students making decisions about their post-16 options.
Should: Recommended in official guidance, such as the DfE's. Not a legal requirement in itself.§ 6. Publishing bursary fund policies
Your application forms, bursary policies and supporting information should make clear to students that there is no guarantee of funding (even for students in defined vulnerable groups) because bursary awards relate to financial need. Students with no participation costs would not receive any funding.
Should: Recommended in official guidance, such as the DfE's. Not a legal requirement in itself.§ 7. Managing bursary fund applications
Examples of policies and procedures designed to raise early awareness of the bursary include: – information about the bursary fund shared through the college website or prospectus, posters displayed around the college, distribution at open evenings for year 11 pupils from local schools or talks at local schools
Good practice: Recommended as good practice. Not required.§ 17.1 Raising awareness of the 16 to 19 Bursary Fund
Questions schools ask
Do schools have to publish a 16 to 19 bursary policy?
Academies and maintained schools must. It only applies to schools with a sixth form.
What does a sixth form bursary policy need to include?
Sets out clear eligibility criteria; Lists the types of help it offers through the bursary fund; application deadline date, if it sets one; States that its support comes from the 16 to 19 Bursary Fund; Makes clear to students that funding is not guaranteed; Encourages young carers with a financial need to apply; and 1 more part listed above.
When do we need to update our bursary policy?
Keep it up to date. There's no fixed date. Update it whenever something changes.
Where does the requirement for the 16 to 19 bursary fund policy come from?
It is set out in 16 to 19 Bursary Fund guide: 2026 to 2027.
Recent changes to the official guidance
Updates to the official sources that affect this requirement, newest first.
11 May 2026 · 16 to 19 Bursary Fund guide: 2026 to 2027
Added '16 to 19 Bursary Fund guide: 2026 to 2027' and updated '16 to 19 Bursary Fund: checklist'.
We last checked these sources on 21 September 2026.
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Official sources last checked 21 September 2026 · register version 1.0.4