MSE News: EMA replacement fund unveiled to help poorest school kids

Wicked_witch

Blackpool_Saver wrote: »

The way I read it, it said that youngsters on income support would get the bursary, now does that mean where the parents get the income support or the youngster in their own name ?

Judging from geordie lass's link, it is for students who receive IS in their own name, ie because they are parents or estranged from their family. Useful as I was also wondering about this!

Rob63, yes he will be going via the college or school.

Sorry for posting so much, I can't work out how to put more than 1 quote into a post right now!

cazar

My son started A levels at 6th form college in Sept 2009 and was awarded full £30 EMA.
He changed to a different course at a different college in Sept 2010 and again got the full £30.
He is due to start the second and final year of his course in Sept 2011. Our financial circumstances haven't changed.

Does anyone know if because he applied & got £30 in 2009, whether he is still eligible for the £30 from Sept? We are concerned about losing his EMA as he pays over £600 a year for his bus pass, plus the additional costs of his course (£100 enrichment fund, £20 materials etc).

geordie_lass_2

Cazar, yes it looks as if your son will still get his EMA @ £30 pw.

Students who applied in the 2009/10 academic year will get the same payments until the end of the 2011/12 year during term time only. This is £30 a week if their household income was below £20,817. Students with household income between that figure and £25,521 get £20 a week. Between that and £30,810 it is £10 a week. Any more and you're ineligible.

Derivative

I don't understand why free school meals are such a huge deal.
I can afford to pay for cafeteria meals and don't because taking sandwiches, a bag of nuts and some carrots is both far cheaper and healthier in most cases.

What I want to see are proper travel grants. Bus pass for those living 10+ miles out, cycle vouchers for the rest. Sorted.

mark61120

EdgEy, we are not talking aboult the relative merits of free school meals, more that their application is being used as a criteria for access to other benefits, such as the replacement of EMA and reduced cost university places.

Also, why bus passes for someone living 10 miles away from their place of education? I certainly would not like to see my child cycle 19 miles each day (as per your proposed maximum prior to granting a bus pass) especially in the winter months. There are a lot of country roads where I live and they have many blind bends!
Mark

Derivative

mark61120 wrote: »

Also, why bus passes for someone living 10 miles away from their place of education? I certainly would not like to see my child cycle 19 miles each day (as per your proposed maximum prior to granting a bus pass) especially in the winter months. There are a lot of country roads where I live and they have many blind bends!

Personally I think 10 miles is fine. The number isn't really important though, could be revised. In my city it's 3 miles before a £100pa travel grant - I used to walk that.

My point is that not everyone needs to get a bus to college and it'd do kids a lot of good to get some exercise instead of falling into the sedentary lifestyle straight away.

Thunderballs_2

It seems to me that colleges are advertising amounts of money students could/will get at their institution as a means to differentiate themselves from other colleges. No specifics given naturally just the .. you could get 1200 a year at ........

This is disgraceful. Offering cash incentives to 16 year olds to pick colleges on the basis of giving them £££ to spend rather than more important criteria (like academic achievement) is not helpful.

The discretionary element is a pain in the !!! for parents that could use some help to cover transport and lunches etc because colleges are not publishing the specific criteria they are going to use to dole them out. Some say they are not offering any bursaries (because they don't have to to attract students (of parents that don't need some financial help))

I am left thinking it would be a good idea to have our 16 year old enroll at several six forms and decide which one we are going to pick when I have details of what they are going to offer from this bursary.

Some parents need to be able to consider the level of bursary their child qualifies for at specific colleges along side academic track records, course offerings etc.