Scottish Government

Education Maintenance Allowances 2007-08

Scotland's Chief Statistician today published statistics on Education Maintenance Allowances ( EMAs) in the academic year 2007-2008. This release contains information on all students at school or at a further education college in Scotland who received at least one payment under the EMA scheme. Full roll out of EMAs was completed in the academic year 2007-2008 when 19 year old students became eligible.

Key Findings

• 37,815 school pupils and college students received EMA payments in Scotland in the academic year 2007-2008. 54% of recipients were female and 64% attended school.
• 25,670 of these students (68%) were or turned 16 during the academic year 2007-2008. This represents 39% of all 16 year olds in Scotland.
• Around 39% of all 16-19 year old school pupils in Scotland received EMA support in the academic year 2007-2008.
• The total number of young people in school in receipt of EMA has decreased by 2% from 2006-2007 to 2007-2008.
• Most EMA participants (80%) were supported in the maximum £30 a week category. College students were more likely to be supported in this category than those in school: 84% of college students had a payment level of £30 compared with 79% of school pupils.
• £33.3 million was paid out under the EMA scheme in the academic year 2007-2008: £26.0 million in weekly payments and £7.4 million in bonus payments.
• 66% of students who were on the EMA scheme for the full academic year and were therefore eligible for both the January and the June bonus payments, received both bonuses. 14% of such students fulfilled the attendance criteria of the programme at least in some weeks, but received neither of the bonuses. Students in the £30 support category were less likely to receive both bonuses than those in the £10 and £20 categories (64% compared to 72%).
• 77% of full year EMA participants in schools received both bonus payments in the academic year 2007-2008 compared to 70% in 2006-2007.
• 86% of full year EMA participants received at least one of the bonuses. 85% of those in the maximum (£30) support category received at least one bonus compared with 89% and 90% of those in the £10 and £20 groups.
• Students from the most deprived areas are more likely to receive EMAs: around 16% of all 16 to 19 year-olds in Scotland live in deprived areas but they make up 22% of full year EMA participants.
• 25% of full year EMA participants in the £30 support category were from the most deprived areas in Scotland compared with 10% and 12% of those in the £10 and £20 groups.