The Department for Education has updated its Residential Bursary Fund guide for institutions in England with 16 to 18 allocations, and it has also confirmed that the deadline to submit the 2025 to 2026 data return form has passed. The guide sets out the funding rules institutions must follow when managing Residential Bursary Fund allocations.
Key facts
- The guide applies to institutions in England with Residential Bursary Fund allocations.
- It forms part of institutions’ Department for Education funding agreements.
- Institutions must be able to show compliance with the guide at audit.
- The deadline to complete and submit the 2025 to 2026 data return form has passed.
- Students, parents and carers are directed to information on funding for college accommodation for eligibility and claiming rules.
What does this mean for students and institutions?
For institutions, the practical effect is that Residential Bursary Fund rules remain tied to Department for Education funding agreements, and compliance must be demonstrable if audited. The guide is specifically for organisations with Residential Bursary Fund allocations, so colleges handling these funds need to follow the rules within the policies they set for managing support.
For students, parents and carers, the guidance points them to separate information on getting funding for college accommodation to check eligibility and how to claim support. The update does not add new eligibility details in the notice itself, but it confirms that the bursary framework is still active for institutions in England with allocations.
What has changed in the Residential Bursary Fund guidance?
The page now includes the Residential Bursary Fund data return guidance for completing the digital form, added on 1 October 2026, and the 2026 to 2027 Residential Bursary Fund document, added on 30 March 2026. The Department for Education also notes that the deadline to complete and submit the 2025 to 2026 academic year form has passed.
The guide was first published on 2 April 2025 and last updated on 23 October 2026. It applies to England.
Who needs to follow this guide?
This guide is for institutions with Residential Bursary Fund allocations. Those institutions must comply with the funding rules set out in the guide and be prepared to show that compliance during any audit.
For institutions, the key practical step is to align local Residential Bursary Fund policies with the Department for Education rules and keep records that support an audit trail.
What should applicants and families check next?
Students, parents and carers should use the separate guidance on funding for college accommodation to understand eligibility and how to claim funding. That is the relevant next step for people trying to work out whether they can receive support.
For institutions, the current priority is to work from the latest RBF documents for 2025 to 2026 and 2026 to 2027, and to note that the 2025 to 2026 data return deadline has already passed.
