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<p>The statutory duty on local authorities, to promote the education of their looked-after
children, applies equally to those in further education (FE). This means looked-after
children in FE receive support from their authority’s Virtual School Head and have
a Personal Education Plan. This plan should help the local authority and education
setting monitor and maximise the young person’s progress.</p><p>Local authorities
have a duty to provide financial assistance to care leavers to support their participation
in education or training; for example, by contributing to travel costs. In addition,
looked-after children in FE are a priority group for the 16 – 19 bursary for defined
vulnerable groups, worth up to £1200 a year. Looked-after children or care leavers
aged 16 to 24 doing an apprenticeship are eligible for a one-off bursary of £1000
to fund the cost of transition into work and support them in their first year of apprenticeship.
If care leavers are following a recognised course of higher education, the authority
that looked after them must pay them a one-off bursary of £2000.</p><p>Universities
are independent bodies and are best placed to decide how best to support their students.
Many universities already provide a range of support to help enable more vulnerable
students to attend their institution and access higher education. For example, The
University of Sussex, offers care leavers a bursary of £3,000 cash for every year
of study and a £500 study grant, as well as a guaranteed room in a campus-based residence
for their entire course, including all holidays.</p>
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