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Exceptional learning support – cost form

Use these forms to submit estimated costs and final claims for exceptional learning support.

Updates to this page

From:
Department for Education and Department for Work and Pensions
Published:
24 February 2014
Last updated:
13 August 2026
Show all updates

  1. Replaced 'Exceptional learning support: estimated cost form for 2025 to 2026' with 'Exceptional learning support: final cost form for 2025 to 2026'.

  2. We have added the guidance for completing the ELS cost form and the estimated cost form for funding year 2026 to 2027.

  3. We have changed the exceptional learning support cost form for academic year 2025 to 2026 and updated the page to remind all settings not to include personal information on the forms because of the General Data Protection Regulation.

  4. We have reuploaded both cost forms because the DfE logo wasn't showing consistently in the previous versions.

  5. We have published the ELS guidance and cost form for funding year 2025 to 2026.

  6. We have updated the page to include information and the exceptional learning support cost form for 2024 to 2025. We have replaced the estimated 2023 to 2024 cost form with the final 2023 to 2024 form. We have removed the final 2022 to 2023 cost form, however you can find this in our national archives.

  7. We have published the ELS guidance and cost form for academic year 2023 to 2024.

  8. The exceptional learning support cost form for 2022 to 2023 has been added, and the final 2020 to 2021 cost form removed. The estimated 2021 to 2022 cost form has been replaced with the Final 2021 to 2022 cost form

  9. We've added the final cost form for 2020 to 2021 and added the estimated cost form for 2021 to 2022. We've also updated the guidance for the 2021 to 2022 funding year.

  10. We have changed the way you submit your ELS claim form please see the details section.

  11. We have added the final Exceptional Learning Support cost claim form for 2019 and 2020, we have also added the estimated Exceptional Learning Support cost claim form for 2020 to 2021.

  12. We have published the final cost form for 2018 to 2019 and published information on the exceptional learning support process for 2019 to 2020.

  13. Added exceptional learning support cost form for 2018 to 2019

  14. Added the exceptional learning support - cost form: 2017 to 2018.

  15. New version of ELS cost form 2016 to 2017 uploaded on 14 October 2016.

  16. Published the 2016 to 2017 exceptional learning support cost form.

  17. Exceptional learning support form for 2015 to 2016 now published.

  18. First published.

Applies to England

Documents

Exceptional learning support: information for completing the cost form

HTML

Exceptional learning support: final cost form for 2025 to 2026

MS Excel Spreadsheet, 89.6 KB

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Exceptional learning support: estimated cost form for 2026 to 2027

MS Excel Spreadsheet, 52.9 KB

Details

These documents are for all colleges, training organisations and employers that receive funding from the Department for Education (DfE), the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), or both.

Use the exceptional learning support (ELS) cost form to submit estimated and final costs for each learner whose learning support costs exceed £19,000 in the relevant funding year.

Before submitting a claim, read Exceptional learning support: information for completing the cost form.

For 2025 to 2026 ELS claims, you must submit the exceptional learning support: estimated cost form for 2025 to 2026 through Document exchange.

For 2026 to 2027 ELS claims, you must submit the exceptional learning support: estimated cost form for 2026 to 2027 through the Customer Help Portal. On the “Create a new enquiry form”, go to “Data returns, collections and requests”, and then “Other return”.

Do not include learner names, initials or other personal information in the file titles when uploading your cost forms. Including personal identifiers is a breach of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Uploaded files should contain only the unique learner number (ULN) for identification purposes. We will not download or process files that do not follow this protocol.

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