Education
Maintenance Allowance - (Emas)
What is an EMA?
If you decide to stay on at school or go to college from September
2005, you may be able to get Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA).
EMA is a fortnightly payment of up to £60 for students who
are aged 16 or 17 years on or between 2nd July 2004 and 1st July
2005. It is paid directly to young people from households with an
income of £30,000 or less who stay on in education after they
reach statutory leaving age (i.e. after the end of their compulsory
schooling).
What is it for?
The fortnightly payments are intended to help cover the day-to-day
costs that you have to meet when you stay on at school or college,
such as travel costs, books and equipment for your course.
What are the key features of the EMA?
Fortnightly payment bands depending on household income.
• up to £20,270 - £30 EMA
• £20,271 - £24,850 - £20 EMA
• £24,851 - £30,000 - £10 EMA
There are also bonus payments of £100 if you remain on your
course and make satisfactory progress with your learning.
It is available for both academic and vocational courses.
Payments will be made direct to your bank account so if you haven't
got one already you will need to open one before applying for EMA.
If you need help or advice on setting up a bank account talk to
your parent or carer, or visit your local bank, who will be pleased
to talk to you. Please note that it may take a few weeks to set
up a bank account, so you should allow for this time prior to sending
your application.
If a student has Special Educational Needs that prevent them from
opening a bank account, please contact the EMA Customer Services
Team on 0845 601 7646.
Will EMA affect my family's or my own benefits?
No. EMA is paid on top of other support and benefits provided by
the Government. So your family won't lose out on other money if
you get EMA.
It will not affect your parents or carers Child Benefit. It won't
affect any money you earn from a part-time job either.
Who will be entitled to an EMA?
You can get an EMA if:
• you are aged between 16 or 17 years on or between 2nd July
2004 and 1st July 2005.
• your household income is £30,000 or below.
• you are doing at least 15 hours of guided learning at an
FE college or studying full time at school.
What types of course attract EMA?
Students have to be enrolled on courses of further education up
to and including Level 3 but not including higher education. The
main types are:
• AS/A2
• GNVQs
• NVQs
• GCSEs
• Basic Skills Level 1
Any course that attracts a training allowance will not be covered
by EMA.
Applying for EMA
You have to apply for EMA on an application form which is available
from your school, college or JobCentre/Jobs & Benefits Office.
The form will ask parents/carers to give details of all the income
coming into your household. You need to send your application form
to the EMA Service Provider – details of how to do this can
be found within the application form.
You do not need to know exactly what you want to study or where
you want to study when you apply for EMA.
If you are eligible for EMA you will receive a Notice of Entitlement
which explains how much you could get once you have enrolled on
a course and started attending school or college.
Once you enrol, you must sign an EMA Contract with your school or
college and attend all your course sessions. This contract will
set out what is expected of you in terms of:
• attendance
• coursework
• progress
Where can I get further information?
Further information on how to apply will be available from your
school, college or JobCentre/Jobs & Benefits Office.
What do I do next?
Think about what course you might want to do and where you might
want to study.
Set up a bank account. Please note that it may take a few weeks
to set up a bank account, so you should allow for this time prior
to sending your application.
Complete the application form, which is available in schools and
colleges from mid-April.
If you are an existing EMA student then a renewal application will
be sent direct to your home address. If you have not received your
renewal application, please contact the EMA Customer Services Team
on 0845 601 7646.
Who can help?
You can ask any of the following about EMA and your next steps:
• your careers teacher
• your careers adviser based in a JobCentre, Jobs & Benefits
Office or Careers Service Office
• ring the Customer Service Team on 0845 601 7646. This is
a dedicated helpline for young people and parents and is available:
• Monday- Friday 8:00am-6:00pm
• Saturday & Sunday Closed
Downloadable Application
Form
The 05/06 EMA application form for new students is now available
for download from this site. An Irish version is also available
to download. Please note that you require Adobe Acrobat Reader to
view this file. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat, you can download
it for free from http://www.adobe.com/.
The application form can be completed in 2 ways:
• You can use your mouse and keyboard to directly type into
the various fields, and then print it. Please note that some sections
must be completed by hand.
• You can simply print the application form and complete it
by hand.
However you choose to complete the application form, you must sign
and return it to the address supplied with photocopies (NOT originals)
of the evidence required. Not supplying the full evidence will hold
up your application until it is received.
If you are having any problems with the downloadable application
form, please call the EMA Customer Services Team on 0845 601 7646.
[PDF]
EMA Application Form 05/06
[PDF]
EMA Application Form 05/06 - Irish Version
[PDF]
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Fact
Sheet compiled for On Your Behalf by by the Department for Employment
and Learning NI.
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