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Education Maintenance Allowance
Since September 2004, if you’ve decided to stay on at school or go to college, you may be entitled to an Education Maintenance Allowance.
The Education Maintenance Allowance, or EMA for short, is a payment of £10, £20, or £30 a week, depending on your household income. These payments are intended to help the day-to-day costs of studying, such as travelling expenses, books, and equipment for your course, but it’s your money – so you decide on how to spend it!
The EMA is aimed at getting students from lower-income families to stay on in education after they have completed their GCSE’s and is available for both academic and vocational courses.
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Do I qualify?
You will qualify for the Education Maintenance Allowance if:
- You are aged 16 between 1 September 2003 and 31 August 2004
- Your household income is less than £30,000 a year
- You are doing, or applying to do, at least 12 hours of guided learning on further education courses, either at a sixth form or a college of further education
How much will I receive?
Depending on your household income, you can get up to £30 a week paid directly into your bank account. If your household income is:
Up to £19,630 a year…………………………...you will get £30 a week
From £19,631 – £24,030 a year……………...you will get £20 a week
From £24,031 – £30,000 a year……………...you will get £10 a week
But that’s not all! You could also qualify for a bonus of £100 (payable in January and July) if you remain on your course and make progress with your learning.
How do I claim?
In order to make your claim, you will need to complete and application form. You should have been given a form at school, some time in April. If you haven’t already got one, you can obtain an application form, either by asking your teacher, or by calling the EMA help-line on 08081 016 219, or by logging on to the Department for Education and Skills website at www.dfes.gov.uk/financialhelp/ema/
On this form, you will need to provide evidence of your household income for the last complete tax year (2003/2004). If you have one, a Tax Credit Award Notice (TCAN) is suitable evidence. If not, evidence such as a P60 form will also be accepted.
You will also need to provide evidence that you have set-up a bank or building society account for the money to be paid into (such as a bank statement or a letter from your bank).
Is there anything else I should know?
The EMA is paid on top of any other support provided by the government, and will not affect your, or your family’s entitlement to any other state benefits that you may qualify for.
Once you have completed your application form, gathered all the evidence you need, and opened a bank or building society account (if you didn’t already have one) – you will need to send all of this information to the Assessment and Payment Body (APB), who will assess your application.
Shortly after sending your form, you should receive a ‘Notice of Entitlement’ from the APB, giving you details of your payments.
Once you have enrolled on your course, you will need to take your EMA papers with you to school or college. You will have to discuss and sign up to the terms of your EMA contract – about your attendance – with your teacher or tutor.
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