EMAs and Bursaries
Education Maintenance Allowances (EMA's)
Education Maintenance Allowances (EMAs) were introduced to encourage students aged 16-19 to continue their studies at school or a further education college.
For academic year 2010-11, EMAs will offer payments up to £30 per week to students, depending on their circumstances. Bonus payments will no longer be part of the EMA programme.
Scottish Ministers reserve the right to review the EMA programme at any time. They plan to review the programme in December 2010. Any award made will only be guaranteed up to the end of December 2010.
Who will be entitled to an EMA?
Students will be entitles to an EMA if:
- They were born between 1 March 1991 and 28 February 1995
- They are on courses (up to SVQ3 / NC level) at school or at a Further Education college or attend the Connect Project; And
- For those who have received EMA before 2009/10, the household income must be £33,156 or below; Or
- For those applying for EMA for the first time, the household income must be £22,403 or below.
To qualify, students must attend all their course sessions amd sign an EMA Learning Agreement with their school or college. This agreement will set out what is expected in terms of:
- Attendance
- Coursework
- Progress
How do I apply?
Forms will be available from Customer Services at The One Stop Shop, School Place, Kirkwall.
Further Education Bursary:
Financial assistance is available for students resident in Orkney to assist with the costs of attending approved courses. Full time, part time, distance learning and block release courses which meet the bursary guidelines are all considered for assistance. Bursary awards are means tested and dependent on the applicant’s specific circumstances, educational history and whether assistance has been given previously.
The FE bursary consists of 4 components:
- Maintenance allowance (means tested for all)
- Travel allowance (means tested for over 18's)
- Material allowance (Means tested for over 18's)
- Course Fees (not means tested) for those attending Orkney College only.
Further information and an application form can be downloaded from here:
Bursary Application Form 2010-11 (pdf - 629kb)
Contact:
Orkney Islands Council
School Place
Kirkwall
Orkney
KW15 1NY
Tel: (01856) 87 3535
Student Loans and Fees - courses at HNC level or above
For students undertaking a course at HNC level or above further information on loans and fees is available on the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) website from the link below: