You may well have received some benefits from this scheme whilst at school.

The Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) is a tax-free benefit available to full-time students where the family income is below a certain threshold. If eligible, weekly payments are made directly into your bank account. There are criteria for eligibility, and details are provided in the information pack available at Student Services.

You can also apply online on the EMA website http://www.ema.dfes.gov.uk
If eligible you will need to attend on a regular basis and this is monitored closely. Payments can be stopped if you do not attend. You will need to ensure you have set up a bank account in order for payments to be made.

Criteria

You can claim if:
• You are aged 16-19 inclusive
• You are continuing your education without a break after leaving school from Year 11
• Your parents’/guardians’ total income is less than £30800 per annum before tax.