EMA: how much could you receive?
Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) comes in weekly payments of £10, £20 or £30 which go directly into your bank account. However, you will only receive your money if you regularly attend, work hard on your course and you achieve the College’s required standards of behaviour and effort.
Your age
You need to be 16, 17 or 18 and have left, or be about to leave, compulsory education.
Your course
You need to be enrolled on a course in England which is one of the following:
- a full-time further education course at a college or school
- an YPLA-funded Diploma (where available) or a course that leads to an Apprenticeship
- a Foundation Learning Programme
Your household income
To qualify for EMA in the academic year starting September 2010, your annual household income must be below £30,810 (for tax year 2009-10). Also there’s good news if you have a part-time job - any money you earn isn’t included in your overall household income.
Your household income (for financial year 2009-10)
up to £20,817 per year £30 per week
£20,818 - £25,521 per year £20 a week
£25,522 - £30,810 per year £10 a week
more than £30,810 per year no entitlement to EMA
Already receiving EMA?
If you’re already receiving EMA and want to continue your course, you may be automatically eligible for the same payments during 2010/11 - even if your household income has increased.
Does EMA affect other benefits?
No, EMA does not affect any other household benefits. So your parents and carers are still free to keep claiming child benefit, tax credits and so on.
If you have children, you may be able to apply for Care to Learn as well as EMA meaning you could get extra help with childcare costs.
Applications for EMA
The Learner Support Service provider is responsible for assessing applications. Learners should contact the helpline number 0800 121 8989 with any questions.
You can obtain an application form by logging onto ema.direct.gov.uk or by calling 0800 121 8989 or by collecting one from the College or a Connexions office. |
Things you should know about your EMA
EMA is a something-for-something scheme. To be paid every week during term time, you must:
- be on a full-time course of at least 12 hours College based study per week.
- Attend all your lessons and exams (100% attendance is required)
- achieve the College’s required standards of behaviour and effort
- work hard and to a level agreed with your tutor
- make good progress on your course
- apply for all absences in advance (the College can refuse applications.)
- follow the sickness procedure
- ensure you are on time for every lesson
- have a bank account
Extras:
- You will only be paid during term time.
- You will be paid one week in arrears.
- It takes a minimum of four working days for a payment to reach your bank account.
- If you are in receipt of a Dance and Drama Award, Jobseeker’s Allowance, NHS Bursaries, or Minimum Training Allowance, you cannot receive EMA.
If you have any further queries on EMA, you can visit or call your administration office.
Please ensure you always match the criteria, to ensure you always receive your payments.
Agreements
EMA Agreement (Attendance, Behaviour and Effort)
In signing the EMA Agreement, the student is committing to attending all the learning as agreed in their EMA Agreement and to meet the standards of behaviour and effort required. If a student breaches the agreed attendance and behaviour policy, the learner will receive no EMA payment for that week. EMA is a “something for something” scheme.
It is the student’s responsibility to check with their Tutor after each lesson that they have been marked as present. It is not acceptable for a student to go to their Admin Office and ask them to show their attendance/ non attendance or change any marks.
Where a decision not to pay has been made on the basis of inappropriate behaviour and/or effort, the Administration Office must indicate the reason on the report that is sent to the EMA Co-ordinator who will retain the non payment for audit purposes. The student will be informed by the tutor and a record of the reason must be kept on file.
Your EMA is your responsibility
EMA is the student’s responsibility and for data protection reason the College is unable to speak to parents/ guardians about a student’s EMA payments.
EMA Documents
If you are having financial problems, we can offer you advice on additional financial support you may be eligible for. Please call our Welfare and Guidance on Team 0116 224 2035.
Don’t be tempted to forge EMA documents (e.g. – Sick Forms, Absence Forms, Timesheets) as this will result in loss of payment and instant suspension from your course.
Backdated Payments
EMA applications received by the Learner Support Service ( LSS) within 28 days of the start of a learning programme will be entitled to receive backdated payments to the beginning of the learning programme
EMA applications received in excess of 28 days from the start of the learning programme start date will be eligible to receive backdated payments to the Monday of the week in which the LSS received the application.
The College does not process EMA applications, therefore, do not decide when you are eligible from. You must contact the LSS for application queries
LSS Student Helpline: 0800 121 8989
Attendance
EMA is intended to cover the costs incurred through attendance at College. You must attend every lesson on your timetable, to be paid for the week. If you do not attend your class you will be marked as absent and will not receive your EMA
Sickness
EMA is intended to cover the costs incurred through attendance at College.
If you are sick you must call your Administration Office.
You must follow the procedure below and complete the College’s EMA Sickness Form on your return.
This does not mean automatic payment.
The College is entitled to refuse applications for Sickness if we have reason to doubt the validity.
Any absence will be classed as Unauthorised until the College has sufficient evidence to suggest otherwise.
If you have been absent for more than half of your timetabled week your absence will not be considered.
*All stages of the procedure must be followed for applications to be considered*
Sickness Procedure
- You must call your Admin Office by 10am on the morning of every day you are off sick. Calls made to other areas within the College will not be accepted. If you fail to call in by 10am each day you will automatically be classed as Unauthorised.
- If you are sick at College you must inform your Admin Office and tutor before you leave. If you fail to inform your Admin Office and tutor you will automatically be classed as Unauthorised.
- Within the first week you return to College after your Sickness, you must complete the College’s ALG Sickness Form. Forms incorrectly completed or submitted after your first week back or for absences for more than half of your timetabled week will not be considered.
- Your attendance and Sickness application will be looked into by your Admin Office and you will be notified of the outcome by your Admin Office.
If you have a long term illness/ disability that may affect your attendance, for example, regular hospital appointments, contact the EMA Coordinator on EXT. 2098 to discuss your individual circumstances.
Absences
EMA is intended to cover the costs incurred through attendance at College. In general, you will only be paid when you have attended all of your lessons. However, you must apply for an authorised absence in advance.
To apply for an absence you will need to visit your Administration Office and complete and Authorised Absence Application
This does not mean automatic payment.
The College can refuse any application if they have reason to doubt the validity.
You must apply for all absences in advance and evidence must be provided. If your absence if approved by your Admin Office you must notify your Tutor, otherwise they will mark you absent and you may lose your money.
Examples of Absences that can be seen in Advance, evidence must be provided.
- A hospital appointment * - hospital letter/ appointment card must be provided-
*You will only be authorised for as long as the appointment and travel there and back. It is not acceptable to take the whole day off.
- A one off need to look after a family member or another person for whom the learner has caring responsibilities.
- A religious festival during term time – National Guidance is up to 3 days per annum, applied for in advance
- A visit to a University to either attend an open day or for an interview *
- An appointment with a Connexions adviser * (although these should normally be scheduled to avoid disruption to studies)
- A work experience placement which is an integral part of a course, and which does not involve a wage
- Taking part in an event, where the activity reflects a significant level of personal achievement (for example, taking part in a regional or national event), or for some other one off event, e.g. Drama, Music, Sport or Volunteering *
- Attendance at a Probation Meeting, or Youth Offending *
- Attendance at a funeral of a close family relative, i.e. Mother, Father, Brother, Sister
- Severe disruption to their mode of transport (for example, where they commute by rail and a rail strike means there is no practical way of getting to college)
- A Driving test or Driving theory test
- A College Governor’s meeting *
- Student Rep Meetings * / National Union of Students official business *
- Territorial Army or Cadet events *
- Study visits abroad that are an integral part of the students’ learning programme, last for no longer than four weeks, and are set out in the student’s learning agreement.
- Course Interviews at Leicester College for the next academic year – letter must be provided
*Proof of attendance at meeting/ event must be given, i.e. letter
*Emergency Doctor and Dentists Orthodontists appointments can be allowed but, an appointment card must be brought into College and attached to the form.
Other Absences
Transport
It is your responsibility to arrive at College on time. If your mode of transport is unreliable, it is up to you to find alternative means or come earlier.
If you have transport problems, where these were not known in advance and where there is no alternative means to hand, consultation suggests that it is reasonable to expect you to walk a 6 mile round journey if you do not have a disability.
Unacceptable Absences
This list is not exhaustive:
- Holidays
- Part or Full time work which is not part of their programme of study
- Leisure activities
- Maternity or Paternity Leave
- Job Interview / Course Interview’s outside of Leicester College
- Birthdays or similar celebrations
- Babysitting younger siblings, or collecting younger siblings from school
- Shopping
- Driving lessons
- Accompanying someone to the Hospital/Doctors/Dentist/Appointments/Home
- Weddings
- Non emergency Doctor’s and Dentist’s appointments
- Jury Service
- Passport or National Insurance Appointments
- Work Training – that isn’t part of Learning Programme
- Taking pets to Vets/ Accompanying a parent
- Sleeping in/ Alarm not going off
Absences that could not have been foreseen
Where an absence genuinely could not be foreseen in advance, you should nevertheless make arrangements to tell the College as soon as possible on the day in question that they will be missing classes. If you fail to do this, the absence will be treated as Unauthorised, unless they can supply strong reason why you failed to contact the College.
Lateness
- If you are running late, you must call your Administration Office
- Persistent lateness will lead to non-payments and further disciplinary action may be taken by your curriculum area.
Queries
If you have any queries about your EMA, please contact your Administration Office.
EMA is your responsibility and for data protection reasons the College is unable to speak to your parent or guardian about your EMA payments.
Final Reminder
Unacceptable behaviour and disruptiveness will result in you loosing payment for the week. You must actively be involved in learning and working whilst you are in your lessons to ensure you are paid your EMA.
Appeals
Appeals should be made if you feel that you have had a payment/s stopped unfairly.
You must follow the procedure laid out below.
Please note appeal forms should only be completed if the issue cannot be dealt with and resolved by your Admin Office and Tutor.
All appeals have to be with Student Services by no later than 2 weeks from, the date of the absence you are appealing.
- You can only appeal within 2 weeks of the date of the absence.
- Have a chat with your Tutor or Admin Office first to see if the issue can be resolved.
- Complete an ALG Appeal Form which is available from your Admin Office. If you need help completing the form, contact our Student Liaison Team
- Attach any evidence you feel will support your appeal case to the Appeal Form.
- You must return your ALG Appeal Form to your Admin Office who will send it to Student Services.
- The Student Services Coordinator will investigate the appeal within 2 weeks and a reply in writing will be sent to your home address, and your Admin Office.
Things to remember:
- You can only appeal within 2 weeks of the date of the absence
- You cannot appeal against a rule of the scheme
- You must have talked to your Admin Office or Tutor first
