Apply on time for School and Post-16 Transport

Hampshire County Council has opened applications for secondary aged children in mainstream school, and for children and Post-16 students with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND). Applications for primary aged children in mainstream school are set to open on 16 April.  

Councillor Roz Chadd, the County Council’s Cabinet Lead Member for Children’s Services, said: “Our transport services are incredibly important to many families in Hampshire, and for most of them we know that having transport in place from the very beginning of the academic year is essential. Parents can support this process by submitting their applications by the deadline, to ensure a timely outcome.  

“We also strongly encourage parents to firstly check the eligibility criteria before applying. This is especially important for Post-16 students as this year there are changes that will apply in some cases, including for new users. 

“Families with school-age children who already receive transport don’t need to reapply or do anything unless their circumstances have changed.” 

The County Council provides two transport services: a free School Transport service for children of compulsory school age who meet national eligibility criteria, and a discretionary Post-16 Transport service for young people with SEND who are unable to access further education or training without transport assistance. Post-16 Transport is a chargeable service, and applications are only approved where there is clear evidence that nobody else in the young person’s household can transport them.  

Application deadlines 

The deadlines to apply for transport are: 

For children attending mainstream primary and secondary schools – 31 May 

For primary and secondary children with SEND – 30 June 

For Post-16 students – 30 June 

The Post-16 Transport service requires families to submit a new application each year. 

Changes to the Post-16 Transport Policy 

Following changes agreed last year, young people aged 16-18 will now normally only qualify for Post-16 Transport if they have both special educational needs or disabilities and are from a low-income background. Also new from September 2026, families will be asked to pay a financial contribution for all new 16-18-year-olds using the service, or for any 16-18-year-olds who currently use the service but whose circumstances have now changed. This might include starting a new course, a change in home or college address or in the young person’s needs.  

The changes won’t apply this year to existing 16-18-year-olds if their circumstances have stayed the same – but their parents will still need to reapply for Post-16 Transport in the usual way. From next year, the changes will apply to all 16-18-year-olds, regardless of whether they have used the service before.   

Next steps  

Providing their applications are received on time, families can expect to hear back from the County Council with the outcome of their application within 10 working days.  

For approved on-time applications, families will receive details of their transport arrangements via email in late August. 

Applications received after the relevant deadline will be treated as late applications and will only be reviewed after all on-time applications have been processed. For eligible families who apply late, this means that transport will not be in place for September 2026 and may not be available for the first school term.  

Late applications for children with SEND will still be considered on time if the child’s Education, Health and Care Plan is finalised after the deadline.  

Visit the County Council’s website for full details, including how to apply for School Transport and Post-16 Transport.