Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) Article Discussion

Oldernotwiser

Carol-a, you're quite right, you don't get an EMA for HE. If he's doing his Foundation Degree full time then the funding for it is exactly the same as for a full, academic degree - fee loan/maintenance loan/bursary. If he's doing it part time then there's no maintenance involved and a fee grant is available, depending on income.

sophisticated.

carol_a wrote: »

Hi, my son has been recieving EMA for nearly two years while he has been doing his A levels. He is planning to stay on at the same college next year to do a higher education foundation degree course. The other day he received a letter from EMA asking him to remember to apply for EMA next year and that, just because he got it last year he may not get it next year etc etc but to apply. The same as the letter he got just before his second year really.

Is this a mistake? They don't get EMA for higher education do they, he will be 19 in October. Thanks.

I got the same letter, guessing it's an automated thing for everyone on the system. You apply for HE funding seperately.

dinigrow

Gemmzie. Quite right - thresholds are staying the same in England. I do not receive official information about Scotland, so I'll take your word on that!

The letters are automated, because a number of Further Education courses last for 3 years (e.g. NVQs at Levels 1, 2, then 3) and not all students achieve their qualifications within 2 years - some students with special needs take longer to complete, so they try to make sure students going into a third year do not miss out.

A wee reminder: If your son or daughter is going into their 2nd or 3rd year of full-time further education and they will be 19 by the beginning of September (i.e. miss out on the cut-off date for EMA), don't forget about the Adult Learning Grant!!! The same applies to students who do not qualify for EMA at all due to household income, but turn 19 at some point during the academic year. ALG is calculated on the students' income... not the parents!

eygor

sheilavw wrote: »

Just a bit of advice. We claimed Ema for our oldest and in the 2nd year we had a problem. Basically we were borderline for the £10. At that time I paid into my works company pension scheme and was under impression that on my P60 the contributions are taken off, but this wasnt the case. I ended up having to get a letter from my employer stating this and I did get the money. I now work in education as a teaching assistant and am thinking ahead to next year when my youngest leaves to go to 6th form. I am just about to join the works pension. Basically, is what happened before unlikely to happen again. Ema said at the time that pension contributions are always taken off the gross figure on p60. Has anyone else experienced this. Also my husband pays seperate pension . Am I right that you can put the gross and not the net down on the form. Any advice from people who have been in similar position? Also is threshold changing anyone heard?

If your pension is not deducted through your employer, then you just need to put the amount you paid in for the year on the EMA Application form and EMA will deduct it from your earnings. (Its Question B12 on the application form if I remember correctly)

I work closely with EMA and I too can confirm there is no September Bonus this Year for either existing or new Students.

A new company is responsible for EMA for the 2008/2009 academic year so you have to call them on 0800 121 8989 for anything regarding September onwards. (The old 0808 10 16219 still works till then if you want to enquire about existing claims and are answered by the old company)

carol_a_3

We still keep getting letters telling us to claim EMA although my son is going into higher education to do a foundation degree in September. We have just applied for the maintenance grant etc for higher education. In the end I phoned EMA helpline today and a nice helpful young chap said that he still might be eligible for EMA depending on the level of his course. He said if it's a level 1 2 or 3 course you can still get EMA and if it's Level 4 you can get adult learning grant (I thought that was only if you were new to studying) He didn't know what level a foundation degree is though. I assume it's level 4 or even 5. Can any one shed any light for me please, he's sending the pack through anyway but I don't hold out much hope.

Oldernotwiser

carol_a wrote: »

We still keep getting letters telling us to claim EMA although my son is going into higher education to do a foundation degree in September. We have just applied for the maintenance grant etc for higher education. In the end I phoned EMA helpline today and a nice helpful young chap said that he still might be eligible for EMA depending on the level of his course. He said if it's a level 1 2 or 3 course you can still get EMA and if it's Level 4 you can get adult learning grant (I thought that was only if you were new to studying) He didn't know what level a foundation degree is though. I assume it's level 4 or even 5. Can any one shed any light for me please, he's sending the pack through anyway but I don't hold out much hope.

A Foundation Degree is a Level 4 course and comes under the normal HE funding regime of student loans. You can get an EMA for a Level 1,2 or 3 course and an ALG for an adult doing his/her first Level 2 or 3 qualification. You obviously spoke to the work experience person on the EMA helpline!

carol_a_3

Thanks very much, at least it's one less form to fill in!

DailyClicker

I've been chosen to represent EMA, and wanted to gather your views on the current system!

Do you love it or hate it!

Personally, I've received the EMA for the last 2 years, which was a fantastic help for me [FONT=&quot][/FONT]

999

DailyClicker wrote: »

I've been chosen to represent EMA, and wanted to gather your views on the current system!

Do you love it or hate it!

Personally, I've received the EMA for the last 2 years, which was a fantastic help for me

Who chose you?

bestpud

DailyClicker wrote: »

I've been chosen to represent EMA, and wanted to gather your views on the current system!

Do you love it or hate it!

Personally, I've received the EMA for the last 2 years, which was a fantastic help for me

Would you care to elaborate?

I'm thinking this thread answers your question anyway, doesn't it? :cool: