EDUCATIONAL
MAINTENANCE
EMA – or Education
Maintenance Allowance – is meant to encourage teenagers stay
on at school. If you qualify, you can get up to £30 a week.
But how easy is it to work out whether you will get it?
We asked an expert to explain the new allowance, and there’s
a factsheet as well. This
is what the Department for Employment and Learning says: “The
Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) is an allowance worth up to
£30 for eligible students paid fortnightly directly to young
people from low income families who stay on in education after they
reach statutory leaving age (i.e. after the end of their compulsory
schooling). Young people may also receive periodic bonuses of £100
if they remain on their course and make good progress with their
learning.”
“Any young person who is thinking of staying on in education
and who lives in a household with an annual income of £30,000
or less should apply for an EMA. The household income assessment
for EMA purposes is the same as that used by the Inland Revenue
for assessing Tax Credits. The weekly allowance will be paid at
three levels - £10, £20, and £30, subject to household
income.”
“In the first year of the national scheme all eligible young
people whose 16th birthday falls on or between 2nd July 2003 and
1st July 2004 and are planning to continue their education in school
or college from September 2004 can apply.”
“Application forms will be assessed by Student Loan Company
(SLC) who have been appointed by the Department. Young people can
complete the application form and send it with details of the household
income to SLC.”
“The SLC will notify all applicants about whether or not they
are entitled to an EMA. A young person will receive EMA payments
once they have enrolled at a school or college and have started
a valid programme of study. All payments will be made directly to
the student through his/her bank account. Payments will only be
made to those students who have satisfied the attendance requirements.”
Further information on the
fact sheet.
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