Services
Education Maintenance Allowance
The Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) became available nationally from August 2004 to eligible young people staying on beyond the school leaving age at secondary school.
Academic Year 2012/2013
The closing date was 31 March 2013, no application can be accepted after this date.
Academic Year 2013/2014
Application forms for the forthcoming 2013/2014 academic year will shortly be available at all secondary schools. A student must be born between 1st March 1994 and 28 February 1998 to be eligible for Education Maintenance Allowance from this authority. Students born between 01 March 1994 and 30 September 1997 (summer intake) can start payment from 19 August 2013. Students born between 01 October 1997 and 28 February 1998 (winter intake) may start payment from 06 January 2014.
For those born between 01 March 1994 and 30 September 1997, the form must arrive at the Civic Centre by 30 September 2013.
For those born between 01 October 1997 and 28 February 1998, the form must arrive at the Civic Centre by 28 February 2014.
Any application form that does not arrive at the Civic Centre by these deadlines can only be paid from when the application is received. The closing date for application forms is 31 March 2014, no application will be accepted after this date.
EMA is an allowance of £30 per week, depending on household income. Household income is assessed in the same way as for Tax Credits provided by HM Revenue & Customs. Students estranged from parents or in care of the authority can also be paid. The thresholds are as follows:
a) Less than £20,351 where there is one dependent child in the household
or
b) Less than £22,403 where there is more than one dependent child in the household.
The term dependent child means those up to the age of 16, and those over the age of 16 and up to the age of 25 if they are in full-time further or higher education.
updated: 30/04/13
