Welsh Education grant to reach 3,500 more

The threshold for the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) in Wales is set to lower, meaning thousands more young people and households will be able to receive the grant.

EMA is a weekly payout of £40 to support 16-18 year olds with further education costs, such as transport and study materials. Although it was ended in England in 2011, it is still retained in Scotland and Northern Ireland at a lower rate of £30 per week.

The threshold is set to rise for households with one dependent child, from £20,817 to £23,400. Families with a household income of £23,400 or less will be eligible to receive EMA, meaning that, from September, an estimated 3,500 learners will benefit from the uplift. By September, almost 20,000 are estimated to receive the grant.

Minister for further and higher education, Vikki Howells, said: “Wales already deliver the most generous Education Maintenance Allowance in the UK, helping post-16 learners to continue studying academic or vocational courses, and this change means we will now be supporting thousands more learners.

“We are very proud of our record in maintaining the increasing the Education Maintenance Allowance. We are clear that our Draft Budget is a budget for a brighter future and the uplift to EMA eligibility is one of the ways we are delivering this. The announcement means thousands more learners will now benefit from further financial support to continue or start their further education journey."