Education MaintenanceAllowance Booklet
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An Introduction
Education Maintenance Allowances (EMAs) will be available nationally across Scotland from August 2004 to eligible young people in fifth and sixth year at school and FE college. Around 40,000 young people could be benefiting from extra financial help to enable them to stay on in post-16 education. How does this affect you?
What is an EMA?
Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) is a weekly payment of up to 30, paid directly to young people who stay on in further education after they reach statutory leaving age (i.e. after the end of their compulsory schooling). Young people may also receive two bonuses of 150 if they remain on their course and make good progress with their learning. Bonuses will be payable in January and July.
Why is the government providing this financial support?
We recognise that for some young people there are financial barriers to participating in education, particularly for those from lower income households. Evidence from pilot schemes that have been running since 1999 has shown EMAs have had a positive impact by increasing the numbers of young people participating in post-16 education, reducing the numbers who drop out of education and by providing incentives that contribute to higher attainment.
The weekly allowance will be paid at three levels - 10, 20 and 30, depending on household income. Those young people from households closer to the 30,000 threshold will receive the lower 10 weekly rate. Those from families with income levels below 19,630 will receive the full 30 rate of EMA. The precise income thresholds will be available in early 2004.
In the first year of the national programme, all young people aged 16 planning to continue their education in school or college from August 2004, can apply. In existing EMA pilot areas, young people currently in a school or college and who plan to continue their education into fifth and sixth year from August, can continue to apply for an EMA. Entitlement will be calculated using the rules for the national award.
For how long will each young person receive their EMA?
Most young people will get their EMA for three years (as long as their household income does not rise above the 30,000 per annum threshold). The EMA will be available for three years out of four for those young people who may need additional time in further education to achieve their full potential.
So how do young people apply?
EMA entitlement is based on an assessment of household income in the previous financial year. Application forms and more information are available from your local council or college. Further information on the details of the application process and availability of forms will be made available from April 2004.
The Local Authority/college will notify all applicants about whether or not they are entitled to an EMA. A young person will receive EMA payments once they have enrolled at a school or college and have started a valid programme of study. Payment of bonuses will depend on the young person showing satisfactory progress against learning objectives set out in their learning agreement and through an ongoing commitment to remain in education. All payments will be made directly by to the student's bank account. Payments will only be made to those students who have satisfied attendance requirements.
What does this mean for Local Authorities, SFEFC, colleges and schools?
Groups | Roles | Responsibilities |
Local Authorities (32) | Delivery Partners | - Manage and administer delivery of EMAs in schools sector including setting and applying local authority policy for: attendance; absences; courses; learning centres; student assessment in the context of EMA Learning Agreements
- Carry out assessment and application procedures for schools sector (Orkney and Western Isles to college sector also) including appeals process
- Providing appropriate support to students/families during the application process
- Collect schools data
- Pay school students
- Provide specific local level publicity information for schools
- Provide advice and information within context of SE guidance to schools sector
|
Secondary Schools (387) | Delivery Agents | - Monitoring attendance
- Manage and monitor Learning Agreement
- Send attendance data to LA
- Raise awareness of EMAs in schools
|
SFEFC | Delivery Partners | - Manage and administer delivery of EMAs in FE sector
- Administer funding of programme to colleges
- Make payments on basis of information from colleges
- Provide specific publicity information for FE sector where required
|
Colleges (46) | Delivery Agents | - Manage and administer delivery of EMAs in college sector including setting and applying FE sector or college policy for: attendance; absences; courses; student assessment in the context of EMA Learning Agreements
- Carry out assessment and applications procedures including appeals process
- Providing appropriate support to students/families during the application process
- Monitor attendance
- Manage and monitor EMA learning agreements
- Make payments to students
- Send Management Information to SFEFC
- Raise awareness of EMAs in colleges
|
What happens next?
Raising the awareness of young people - during 2003-04 it is important that fourth-year students receive information about EMA. National publicity material will be available to raise awareness amongst young people about their potential entitlement to the allowance. This will help schools and colleges give messages about EMA to young people, for example, through careers education lessons from third year, open evenings, careers conventions, career planning events and through the liaison work of Careers Scotland. Early notification might influence a young person to stay on in learning.
Planning - schools and colleges will want to make an assessment of the likely take-up of EMA and the impact on participation levels in 2004-05. They are encouraged to reflect the messages in this leaflet in their prospectuses and planning documents. Detailed guidance on the requirements for administering EMA will be issued to schools and colleges later in 2003.
Contact for further information
Your Local Council Education Department
Email: studentsupport@scotland.gov.uk
website: www.emascotland.com