Who’s eligible?

To determine whether transport may be necessary, we consider the following factors:

  • That the learner resides in Shropshire 
  • Whether the institution attended is the nearest appropriate educational establishment offering a suitable course, on a full-time basis 
  • Whether the learner has special educational needs, disabilities and/or mobility difficulties
  • What other arrangements have been considered or tried and why they are not suitable
  • What funding is available for transport from the institution (such as any bursaries) that the learner is attending; there is an expectation that the learner has actively applied for that funding; 
  • What other funds the learner can access; there is an expectation that the learner has actively applied for that funding
  • If there's a family member/carer who may be willing to transport the learner
  • Whether the learner has a journey to the educational or training institution that can't be undertaken on public transport due to the availability of public transport services or because of the learner’s special needs and/or disabilities. Where it's considered that travel assistance is necessary, it'll be arranged in the most cost-effective way and will focus on support that'll aim for, or enable, the learner to travel as independently as possible

Transport is not provided to meet a learner’s individual timetable, including before and after college clubs, extra-curricular activities, exams or work experience/placements. It's also not provided for supported internships. Section 508F of the Education Act 1996 provides that the council must make such arrangements for the provision of transport and they consider “necessary” for the following purposes:

  1. To facilitate the attendance of adults receiving education at specialist institutions either maintained or assisted by the council and providing further or higher education (or both) or within the further education sector
  2. To facilitate the attendance of an adult (for whom an EHC plan is maintained) receiving education or training at institutions outside both the further education sector and the wider higher education sector, but only where the council have secured the provision of education or training at the institution in question, and the provision of boarding accommodation. An ”adult” is defined as a person who is neither a child nor a person of sixth form age (which means they are over compulsory school age but either under 19 or have begun a particular course of education or training before the age of 19 and continue to attend that course)