Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which local funding authority is responsible for financial support for high needs students aged 16 to 25 when they study in a different area to that in which they reside.

The local authority responsible for making provision for students aged 16 to 25 who have special educational needs and disabilities, and who have an education, health and care plan, is the local authority of the area in which the student normally resides.

In order to secure such provision the local authority provides the institution concerned with high needs funding, if the costs of additional support for the student exceed £6,000 per annum.

There are exceptions to this if the young person is in a children’s home or foster care, and is looked after by a local authority other than the authority of the area in which they normally reside. In that case we would expect the local authority that looks after the young person to meet the costs of additional support in excess of £6,000.