|
Q. Do you want to stay in education next August but you're worried about money?
A. If you are aged 16 to 19 and decide to stay on at school from August 2007, you may be eligible for an education maintenance allowance.
Q. What is an EMA?
A. EMA is a weekly payment worth up to £30, paid directly to young people from low-income families who remain in full-time education after they reach the statutory school leaving age.
You may also be entitled to receive two bonuses of £150 each if you remain on your course and make good progress with your learning.
Q. Who will be entitled to an EMA?
A. You can get an EMA if:
-
You were born between 1 March 1988 and 29 February 1992.
-
Your gross household income is £31,528 or below.
-
You sign a valid learning agreement with your school.
The weekly allowance will be paid at three levels, £10, £20 or £30 per week, depending on the level of household income indicated below:
| 0 to £21,302 |
£30 per week |
| £21,302 to £26,116 |
£20 per week |
| £26,116 to £31,528 |
£10 per week |
Q. Will EMA affect my family's own benefits?
A. EMA is paid in addition to other benefits paid by the Department for Work and Pensions. Your family's income will be unaffected. You may also be in a part time job and still be entitled to recieve EMA.
Q. How do I apply?
A. Complete an application form (available from your school) or from the EMA section and submit with all the relevant documentation to the EMA section.
Application packs are available April or May for the new session commencing in August.
Q. When should I submit application form?
If you are eligible from August, ie your sixteenth birthday falls before 30 September 2007, your application should be submitted immediately after completion.
If you are not eligible until January, ie your sixteenth birthday falls after 30 September 2007, your application should be submitted from November onwards.
Q. What do I need to do?
A. You must attend all your course sessions and sign an EMA Learning Agreement with your school. This agreement will set out what is expected of you in terms of attendance, behaviour and course work progress
Q. Where can I get further information?
A. You can ask any of the following about EMA:
You can also get information about bursaries from your school or local careers office.
For further information please use the 'Contact Us' box at the right hand side of the page.
|
Search NorthWeb
