There is a shortage of about 300 spaces on education courses for low-achieving young people in Kent.
The reduced provision for post-16-year-olds comes after two funding streams ended last summer - one due to Brexit and the other due to government cuts.
Four out of the 12 districts in Kent have no provision for post-16s with low or no GCSEs.
The Department for Education said: “It’s for local authorities to work with providers to ensure every young person has access to suitable education or training place. Where gaps are identified they can ask for support from the Department.”
Dover alone currently has 132 people aged between 16 and 19 who are not in education, training or employment.
This is an increase of 50 people from last year.
Luke, who lives in Dover, says he struggles with anxiety and left school last year without his Maths or English GCSEs.
The 17-year-old tried enrolling in mainstream college, but said he couldn’t cope with the environment.
Since finishing school last year, he says he has been left with nothing.
Speaking to BBC South East, he said: “It just makes you feel like you’ve messed it up yourself and it wasn’t anyone else’s fault but you, which was the sad part.”
He had been hoping to study at NUYU college in Dover, to retake his exams and pass new qualifications.
The college lost all its funding with the cuts last year.
