The Department for Education says the deadline to complete and submit the Residential Support Scheme data return form for the 2025 to 2026 academic year has now passed. The guidance applies to institutions in England with a 16 to 18 Residential Support Scheme allocation and sets out the funding rules that sit within those institutions’ DfE funding agreements.
Key facts
- The guidance applies to institutions in England with a 16 to 18 Residential Support Scheme allocation.
- The page says the deadline to complete and submit the 2025 to 2026 data return form has passed.
- The guide forms part of institutions’ Department for Education funding agreements.
- Institutions must be able to show compliance with the funding rules at any audit.
- Students, parents and carers are directed to a separate college accommodation funding guide for eligibility and claiming information.
What does this mean for colleges and students?
For institutions, the immediate effect is administrative: the 2025 to 2026 Residential Support Scheme return is no longer open, and the guidance confirms that the form deadline has passed. The guide also makes clear that RSS funding rules are not optional; institutions with an allocation must be able to demonstrate compliance if they are audited.
For students, parents and carers, the guidance points away from the institution-level return and toward the separate college accommodation funding guide for information on eligibility and how to claim funding. The RSS page itself is aimed at institutions, but it remains relevant to students because the scheme helps frame how accommodation support is administered in further education.
- Audience covered: institutions with a 16 to 18 RSS allocation in England.
- Current status: the 2025 to 2026 data-return deadline has passed.
- Practical next step: consult the separate funding guide for eligibility and claiming details.
What is the Residential Support Scheme guidance for?
The guide is a funding reference for institutions that receive a 16 to 18 Residential Support Scheme allocation. It sets out the rules that institutions must follow and forms part of their Department for Education funding agreements. The page also notes that the guidance was first published on 2 April 2025 and last updated on 23 October 2026.
Which documents are attached to the guidance?
The page lists three documents: Residential Support Scheme: 2026 to 2027, Residential Support Scheme guidance: 2025 to 2026, and Residential Support Scheme data return, 2025 to 2026: guidance for completing the digital form. The page also records that the 2026 to 2027 guidance was added on 30 March 2026 and the digital-form guidance was added on 1 October 2026.
When was the deadline update made?
The most recent update on the page, dated 23 October 2026, states that the deadline to complete and submit the Residential Support Scheme data return form has now passed. The same page also says the deadline for the 2025 to 2026 academic year form has passed.
