You may be eligible for an Education Maintenance Allowance if you are aged 16-19 and wish to stay on in education.
EMA Applications for 2020/21 are now available. Please remember that if you were in receipt of EMA last year, you need to re-apply this year. Due to COVID-19, our process is changing and would ask you to complete the online EMA application form and provide the following supporting documents. These can be uploaded at the end of the form (this can either be as a PDF or image taken on a phone).
Supporting documents required:
More information is detailed within the EMA Guidance Notes to help you complete the form. If you need any further help please email EMA@west-dunbarton.gov.uk.
Please note – if you are in receipt of benefits, we require the confirmation letter received from DWP for 2019/2020 tax year. Due to the current situation, you do not need to complete pages 15 & 16 at this moment in time, however you are required to send your confirmation letter for 2019/2020 tax year with the application form.
If, for any reason, you cannot access the form electronically then please contact the relevant High School who will be able to organise for a paper copy of the form to be made available to you.
An Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) is a Scottish Government initiative aimed at helping young people stay on in education. You may be eligible for an EMA if you are aged 16-19 and attend a West Dunbartonshire school or in receipt of an Activity Agreement.
An EMA is a weekly allowance payable to young people who have achieved 100% attendance per week at school. It is paid on a 2 weekly basis.
The Income Threshold for the EMA programme is shown in the table below.
The Scottish Government have increased income thresholds from 1 January 2016.
Household Income | Number of dependent children | Award |
---|---|---|
0 - £24,421 | 1 | £30 |
0 - £26,884 | 2+ | £30 |
WDC will increase EMA by £5 per week for every young person paid out in two instalments in January and July. Please contact the EMA section for more information.
Dependent children are those:
Please ensure that you sign the application form AND include all original documentation before posting.
EMA Attendance and Payment dates for 2020/21
Education Maintenance Allowance in Scotland
You can use this website to find out more information and to check if you are eligible for an EMA.