Education Maintenance Allowance

Students who qualified for the new weekly Education Maintenance Allowance payment (EMA) and stayed on in education after 16 last term will this week receive their first £100 cash bonus.

The bonus follows a student's return after their first term and is one of a series they will receive for performance and good attendance as agreed with their school and college.

Ivan Lewis, Minister for Skills and Vocational Education says the extra incentive to continue with courses will have a big impact on retention after the Christmas break.

He said:

"With this extra cash young people who might have been tempted to drop out of their courses into low paid jobs after the New Year holiday have been given a huge incentive to stay on.

"We have one of the worst post-16 drop-out rates in the world and are determined to reverse this. The bonus is an important part of our overall EMA package and it's extremely encouraging that so many students have qualified for their first payments.

"Students have worked hard for their bonuses. They have all signed personal agreements for attendance and commitment and their schools and college are reporting renewed motivation in the classroom. This is a something-for-something scheme which proved during trials to be exceptionally effective in helping people stay on.

"Many young people across England receiving EMA since we introduced it nationwide in September would not otherwise have had the means to continue studying after their GCSEs."

Students are eligible for a bonus of £100 in January and July - and again in October if they come back for a second year. Bonuses depend on the progress they make with their course but are worth potentially £500 extra money over the two years.

Through EMA, students who continue in further education and live in a household with an annual income of £30K or less can receive £10, £20 or £30 each week, in return for regular attendance on their courses. These are intended to ease the financial pressures experienced by young people in further education and reduce the drop out rate among 16 year olds.

Young people who are 17 years old between 1st September 2004 and 31st August 2005 are eligible for payments if they engage in at least 12 hours a week of guided learning on further education courses in school sixth forms, sixth form colleges and FE colleges. Students interested in applying for the scheme can call the free EMA help-line on 080 810 16219 or log on to www.ema.dfes.gov.uk.

Disclaimer

All information provided on our news pages were intended to inform the reader of recent events and they should not be treated as legal advice or opinion. In particular the developments detailed in these stories will frequently be overtaken by future events.

If you need any advice from The Village Citizens Advice Bureau please use the advice services.