Students with learning difficulties are set to benefit from a £1.36m funding boost to improve college facilities.

The funding, awarded by the Education Funding Agency directly to the colleges, will enable support facilities to be extended for young people aged 16-24 with special educational needs along with learning difficulties or disability.

Benefiting from the bid are Brockenhurst College (£210,000), Eastleigh College (£654,000) and Queen Mary’s College in Basingstoke (£496,000).

With this funding, colleges will be able to expand the options for young people with high needs to participate in further education and vocational training.

Councillor Peter Edgar, Hampshire County Council’s executive member for education, said: “This is good news for the colleges and those students who will benefit. I am pleased that we have been able to play an instrumental role in securing this funding for the colleges through our successful bid.”

Brockenhurst College’s head of division, Jill Lueddeke, said: “The money will extend the Inspiration Room, a respite from busy college life for students on the autistic spectrum, to accommodate a rise in numbers over recent years.

“The grant will also enable us to provide specialist, adapted facilities for the teaching and assessment of independent living skills and social space for students in the Adult Inclusive Learning department.”

Tony Lau-Walker CBE, chief executive at Eastleigh College, said: “This development will enable Eastleigh College to add to the residential centre facilities, near Winchester, that can be used by a wide range of learners to develop employability skills and vocational skills.

“The facilities will be completed by the autumn term of 2014 and will provide greater choice for learners with learning difficulties within Hampshire.”