Education Maintenance Allowance

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.

Get your Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA)

You could get a weekly allowance of £30 per week if you:

attend a school in the West Lothian Council area, or
you are on an Activity Agreement

Find out if you match the eligibility conditions for an EMA on the EMA Scotland.

College students should contact their college directly to apply for EMA.

Academic Year 2017/2018

Applications will be available at all secondary schools in June. A student must be born between 01 March 1998 and 28 February 2002 to be eligible for Education Maintenance Allowance from this authority.

Students born between 01 March 1998 and 30 September 2001 can start payment from week beginning 21 August 2017. The form must arrive at the Civic Centre by 30 September 2017.

Students born between 01 October 2001 and 28 February 2002 may start payment from 08 January 2018. The form must arrive at the Civic Centre by 28 February 2018.

Any application form that does not arrive at the Civic Centre by these deadlines can only be paid from the week in which the application is received. The closing date for application forms is 31 March 2018. Absolutely no application will be accepted after this date.

If you wish to download and print the form, please see the links below;