Who’s eligible?

The local authority has a duty to encourage, enable and assist participation of all young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities up to 25 years of age. 

However, there's no automatic entitlement for free travel to school assistance if your child is below statutory school age (pre-school) or over 16 at the beginning of the academic year (1 September). This is regardless of whether they are working a year behind.

Travel assistance will only be considered to the nearest provision or that is designated as the nearest suitable provision, except in exceptional circumstances. An appropriate course is one that enables the young person to meet his or her learning and or employment objectives or is specifically designed to meet the student's special educational needs. Pupils/students should also meet the following criteria:

• You live in Shropshire
• You have an education, health and care plan and/or special educational needs, mobility difficulties and/or disabilities (SEND) 
• You are attending a full-time educational course (15 hours or more at least 3 days a week) at the nearest suitable school or college to your home. If a similar suitable course is offered by an FE provider nearer to your home, you won't be eligible for assistance. Pupils/students must be attending during the normal school/college day and during term time only
• Normally live over 3 miles from your nearest suitable college unless a young person’s special educational needs, mobility difficulties or disability prevents them from being able to walk the route or use any other expected method
• Where the student isn't attending the designated provider for the home address the student may still qualify if the qualification, or a comparable qualification resulting from the course selected, can't be gained at the designated post 16 provider. In this respect, parents and students are advised to identify carefully the qualification resulting from the course: if, in the view of the authority, the qualification or comparable qualification is available at a nearer post 16 provider, assistance will not normally be granted. Transport will not normally be considered for an A Level course, other than at the designated post 16 provider, even if the student is taking A level subjects that aren't available at the designated post 16 provider
• Exceptions to attendance at the designated provider for A Level courses or equivalent will only be considered where students can demonstrate that their choice of subject is an essential, not simply ‘desirable’, prerequisite to their future higher education course or career plans. Such exceptions are few and far between because the course provision at the designated post 16 provider is considered satisfactory to meet any future course or career needs (NB: Higher education establishments do not normally impose specific subject only requirements)
• No transport assistance is available to students on higher education courses 
• For nursery students they are attending a nursery/pre-school designated as appropriate by the local authority to meet their SEND needs
• All travel assistance arrangements are subject to a contribution scheme from parent/carers