Education Maintenance Allowance

1. Up to £30 a week if you carry on learning Education Maintenance Allowance

2. What is EMA? • EMA was introduced in 2004 to encourage more young people to carry on learning after Year 11 by providing them with financial support. • EMA is a payment of up to £30 a week – depending on your household income. • As well as receiving weekly payments, learners can also receive bonus payments for making good progress on their course. • Young people can apply for EMA if they want to start a further education (FE) course at a sixth form or college, or if they start an Entry to Employment (e2e) course or Programme-led Apprenticeship with a training provider. • Learners can claim EMA for up to three years. • In 2008-09, more than 9,000 young people in • Derbyshire claimed EMA.

3. Can I get EMA? • The EMA checklist •  You are 16, 17 or 18 and about to leave, or have already left, compulsory education. •  You are thinking of: • - joining an e2e programme • - starting a full-time FE course at a college or sixth form, or • - starting a Programme-led Apprenticeship. • Your annual household income must be less than £30,810. Still unsure if you’re eligible for EMA? Call the EMA helpline on 0800 121 8989 or log on to www.direct.gov.uk/ema

4. EMA – the key features • EMA is paid into your own bank account – you must have a bank account to receive EMA payments. • EMA is a something for something scheme. You need to attend regularly and make good progress on your course to get your weekly payments and bonus payments. • EMA is only paid if you meet the attendance and behaviour requirements set by your learning provider – 100% attendance is expected. • There are no restrictions on how you spend the money. • EMA is available for up to three years. • EMA does not affectany other benefits that your family might claim – including Child Tax Credits and Child Benefit. • You can still have a part-time job if you claim EMA.

5. How much EMA will I get? • The amount of EMA you will get depends on your household income in the tax year 2008-09 - how much your parents or carers earned during this time. • If it was £20,817 or less, you will get £30 a week. • If it was between £20,818 and £25,521, you will get £20 a week. • If it was between £25,522 and £30,810, you will get £10 a week. • If it was more than £30,810, you will not get EMA. On top of your weekly payment, you could also get bonuses for doing well and achieving the targets set by your learning provider. From 30 June 2008 all learners starting an e2e course will receive £30 a week.

6. 2840 569 1427 £2740 406 63 2067 28400 3 114 8114 475 220 2 142 178 57 568 811 And just look at the rewards… Apart from the obvious educational benefits of studying, a young person studying full-time for two years at an FE college or sixth form could potentially get £2740! And just look what you can buy for that kind of money!

7. The EMA Learning Agreement EMA is a something for something scheme – you sign a learning agreement with your school, college or training provider to receive your weekly payments. The agreement that you sign is in two parts: CONTRACT PART 1 – You receive this with your Notice of Entitlement (NoE) if you are eligible for EMA. This sets out what is expected of you in terms of attendance in order for you to receive your weekly payments. CONTRACT PART 2 – This part of the contract is tailored to your individual learning goals. Your learning provider will agree these with you. You will need to achieve these goals to get your bonuses.

8. How do I apply for EMA? • Applying for EMA is really easy! • Application packs are available from your school. They are also available from the EMA helpline. • The application pack consists of: • - an application form • - guidance notes, and • - a pre-paid envelope for you to send you form back in. • There is a section on the form for you to complete – this will get you used to filling in tricky, official forms! • Your parents or carers will need to fill in the rest of the form. • If you have any problems, you can contact the EMA helpline.

9. Applying for EMA continued… • Your parents and carers will have to say how much they earned in the 2008-09 tax year. • You will need to have a bank account before you can apply for EMA. • If you haven’t already got an account, you need to get one sorted quickly! • You don’t need to know what you want to do next year. • You can apply for EMA without knowing which sixth form, college or training provider you are going to be going to in September. • Apply as soon as you can!!

10. Don’t forget the bank account! Without a bank account you can’t claim EMA - the bank account must be in your name. If you haven’t already got a bank account, you’ll need to visit your local bank to open one and you’ll need to provide: • evidence of your identity – for example, your birth certificate or passport, and • evidence of your address – for example, your NHS medical card.

11. The EMA timetable • April • Application packs available to pick up from school. • Make sure you’ve got a bank account that will accept EMA payments. • April onwards • Apply for EMA. Send a completed application form with evidence of your parents or carers income to the Helpline, Assessments and Payments Body (HAPB). • If you’re eligible, you’ll receive a NoE and Contract Part 1 from the HAPB. • Decide on a course and place of learning. • September • Enrol on your chosen course and take in your NoE and Contract Part 1. • You’ll sign your Contract Part 2 after you’ve started on your chosen course.

12. Any questions?

13. How can I find out more? You can find out more about EMA from: • your school • your Connexions PA • your careers teacher • by logging on to www.connexions-derbyshire.org • by phoning the EMA helpline on 0800 121 8989, or • by logging on to www.direct.gov.uk/ema