Educational maintenance awards
You may be able to get up to £30 a week education maintenance
award (EMA) if you are 16 and heading for college or school sixth
form, or staying on in a special school.
EMA is a weekly payment of £10, £20 or £30 depending on your
household income. This money is intended to help with the day to
day costs when you stay on at school or go to college – such as
travel, books and equipment for your course. There are also £100
bonuses if you stick with your course and make good progress.
Entitlement
You can get EMA if you are a full time student and your
household has an income of £30,000 or less. The full time course
can be at school, sixth form college or further education college.
For instance, it might be for AS1 or AS2, GCSEs, GNVQs, NVQs or
other vocational qualifications.
To get EMA you must be a UK born national or if born abroad have
UK Citizenship and have lived in the UK for three years. Other
residence rules apply to the children of refugees.
How much?
The amount you get depends on the income for your household (you
will need to talk to your parents or carers about this).
- Up to £20,270 a year for the weekly £30 EMA
- £20,271 to £24,850 for the weekly £20 EMA
- £24,851 to £30,000 for the weekly £10 EMA
If you are still attending your course and progressing well in
January you may get a bonus payment of £100, and again in July.
There is an extra bonus payment in October if you return to the
second year of your course. This means that extra bonuses will be
up to £500.
Household income is assessed. It is the income of the adults in
your household who have a caring or parental responsibility for
you. In most cases this is your parent(s), but could be
grandparents or an elder brother or sister with whom you normally
live.
For how long can I get EMA?
Young people can get EMA for two or three years depending on how
long they need to complete their studies. You need to apply for EMA
each year.
Effect on other benefits
EMA is paid on top of other support benefits from the Government
– so your family will not lose out on other money they receive.
Applying
You need to get an application form and fill it in.If you are
attending Year 11 at a Rochdale Borough Council maintained school
you will be given a form by school at this time. Otherwise, get a
form from the college that you will be attending or if you have
trouble finding a form you can order one online.
Department for Education and Skills - EMA application
You need your parents or carers to give details about their
income on the application form. They will need to send, with the
form, evidence of their household income. They can send with the
form either there Tax Credit Award Notice or P60 to verify their
household income.
Apply as soon as you can after April. You do not need to have
decided what course you want to do or where you want to study in
order to apply. If you apply late you might have to wait for your
EMA or not get a full year’s money.
EMA is paid direct to your bank account – so if you have not got
one already you will need to open an account in your name before
applying. Ask at your local bank about basic accounts for receiving
EMA.
When you have completed your form return it to the Assessment
and Payment Body. The address is on the form. The Assessment and
Payment Body will do an assessment for EMA. The will send you a
letter informing you of how much you will get.
Your school or the Connexions Personal adviser can help you get
a form and help to complete the application form.
Connexions
Rochdale