Funding Options

Funding Options

Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA)

Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) is a government run scheme that gives pupils the chance to get some extra cash that will help whilst staying on in further education.

EMA could help you with the cost of books, travel, equipment or anything else that could be useful to continue learning.

You can receive up to £30 a week and is paid straight into your bank account.

Are you eligible?

If you are not already receiving an EMA then check the list below to see if you’re likely to be eligible.

• Age - You need to be between the ages of 16-18 and have left- or be about to leave-compulsory education.
• Course - You need to be enrolled on a course which is one of the following:
  • A full-time further education course at a school or college
  • An LSC funded Diploma or a course that leads to an Apprenticeship
  • An LSC funded Entry to Employment (e2e) course
• Household income - To qualify for EMA, your annual household income must be below £30,810

Dance & Drama Awards

The Dance and Drama Awards are for students over the age of 16 who are interested in working in performing arts. The award will cover most of your fees; however it is only available at a small number of private, specialist schools. You will also still need to make a personal contribution if you intend on receiving this fund. For the 2010/2011 academic year, the personal contribution is £1,275.

Discretionary Support Funds

Discretionary Support Funds are available at colleges and sixth forms to help with learning costs. This money does not need to be paid back and they are available to people who are in financial hardship and the money can be used to help with study materials, field trip and travel costs. To find out how much you are eligible for, ask your tutor at college of sixth form.

Help with transport costs

If you’re aged between 16 and 19, you may be able to get help with the cost of your transport from your local authority. The level of help you receive depends on your local authority but they usually look at your family income and how far you live from your college before giving you any help with your costs.