EMA England, Northern Ireland or Wales is unconnected to Falkirk Council. If you live in England, Northern Ireland or Wales please do not contact us as we will be unable to help with your enquiry.
Documents and information available on this page are intended for students attending a school in the Falkirk Council area.
*NEWS*
New Applicants
Applications are invited from pupils 16 between 1 October 2009 and 28 February 2010. Applications, which can be downloaded from this page or obtained by contacting us, must be received no later than 28 February to qualify for payment backdated to the start of this term.
The 2009-10 EMA session closes to new applicants on 31 March. No applications will be considered after that date.
EMA 2010-11
Preparations are already underway for the next session, starting in August 2010. Information on this page will be updated after this current session closes on 31 March and it's hoped that applications will be available from June.
Applying for EMA for '10-'11? Income eligibility will be based on the full tax year 6th April 2009 – 5th April 2010. Month 12 or week 52 payslips will be due at the end of March '10 with P60's and Tax Credit Notices shortly after. Please keep these safe as they'll be needed to support your EMA application.
Students already in receipt of EMA and age-eligible to return to school in August will automatically be sent a new form. Our mailing list is now open for any new applicants; if you'd like to be added, please contact us at ema@falkirk.gov.uk| with the applicant's name and address.
In the meantime, Scottish Government have just announced that there will be no change to the income thresholds; "In the past EMA income thresholds have been increased in line with those for other forms of student support. We have been advised that for session 2010/11 there will be no increase in the thresholds for student support and therefore the EMA thresholds will also remain unchanged for this session." Scottish Government Enterprise and Employability for Young People Division.
Also, in the summer of our new session, EMA Team will be moving with Education Services to new headquarters in Grangemouth. Further information including our new address and moving date will be provided when available.
Glow
EMA team is very pleased to now be part of Glow, the world's first national intranet for education!
Falkirk Council recently joined Glow and the roll-out to schools is underway. We hope our pupils should have access over the next year or so.
When you have your Glow log-in, please be sure to visit our Falkirk EMA group on the Falkirk Council level for regular news and info, as well as interactive surveys and discussion boards. Don't worry if you can't access Glow – our page here will continue to be our main source of EMA information and downloadable forms.
Please add this page to your favourites and check in regularly for news and updates!
GENERAL INFORMATION
The Education Maintenance Allowance is a scheme introduced by the Scottish Government to encourage young people to stay in further education and gain qualifications that will enhance their job prospects.
What is an EMA?
An EMA is a weekly allowance payable to eligible students who have achieved 100% attendance per week. It is payable in arrears on a 2 weekly basis.
Two bonuses of £150 each are also available for attendance and achievement, and are payable in January and June.
Do you qualify for an EMA?
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Were you born between 1 March 1990 and 28 February 1994?
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Are you willing to participate in an approved learning agreement at school?
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Do you attend school for a minimum of 21 guided learning hours per week?
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Do you attend a Falkirk school?
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Is your household income £20,351* per annum or less?
*Lowest threshold, applicable to new entrants from families with a single child in full-time education. Higher thresholds may apply – please see Income Document (PDF, 31KB)| for further information.
Students attending college full time may also be eligible for EMA but should contact the college direct for further information or to obtain an application form.
How to Apply for an EMA
EMA England, Northern Ireland or Wales is unconnected to Falkirk Council. For Learning Centres in England, Northern Ireland or Wales, please refer to the central website|.
If you attend a school outside the Falkirk Council area, please do not submit applications or other correspondence to Falkirk Council as we will be unable to help with your enquiry. Please contact your school or the Local Authority for that area.
When applications are available, Falkirk Council Secondary School students can pick one up from the following points:
An Employer and Pension Certificate can be downloaded from this page and can be used if your parent/carer does not have other proof of income.
Completed applications can be posted to Education Services (EMA) using the address given in the Contact Us panel.
Please note that we are unable to assess hand-delivered applications while you wait. All applications are dealt with in date order and pupils contacted in writing as quickly as possible thereafter (usually within 2 or 3 business days).
Need more information?
Check our Frequently Asked Questions (PDF, 131KB)| for further details including deadline dates for this year.
When your application is approved you'll receive a Notice of Entitlement and Pupil Handbook. The handbook (PDF, 84KB)| includes payment dates for the year and what to do if you're absent from school due to illness.
We're happy to help pupils or parent/carers with any aspect of EMA, including completion of the application form or absence procedures. Unfortunately, McLaren House has no facilities where we can speak to you confidentially and for this reason, personal visits are discouraged. However, most general queries can usually be quickly answered by phone or found within the information on this page.
Please note that for Data Protection reasons, EMA section and schools may only be able to discuss certain matters with the EMA student and not their parent/carer. These include individual award amounts, confirmation of payment or reasons for withheld payment.
Downloads available
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Application form 2009/2010 (PDF, 205KB)
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Frequently Asked Questions (PDF, 131KB)
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Pupil Guidance notes 2009/2010 (PDF, 70KB)
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Pupil Handbook 2009/2010 (PDF, 84KB)
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Self certification form (PDF, 28KB)
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Change of home/email advice (PDF, 25KB)
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Change of bank account advice (PDF, 26KB)
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Benefits Contact Details (PDF, 65KB)
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Employer's Certificate of earnings (PDF, 27KB)
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Occupational/State Pension Certificate (PDF, 27KB)
This information is given as a general guide and should not be regarded as a statement of statutory position or Council policy.
Further information may be available from
EMA Scotland| or by contacting us.
We regularly review and update this page. If there's any other EMA information or guidance you'd like to see here, please let us know