Wales is set to be the first UK nation to increase the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) payment, the Minister for Education and Welsh Language, Jeremy Miles has confirmed.
From April 2023 the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) will increase from £30 per week to £40 for eligible further education students in sixth form or college.
EMA is a weekly grant designed to support 16 to 18-year-olds from low-income households with further education costs, such as transport or meals.
FE students are eligible for EMA if their household income is £20,817 or less, if they are the only young person in the household, or £23,077 if there is more than one young person in the household. An FE Calculator (Student Finance Wales) is available to check students eligibility.
The increase will be a commitment for the next two academic years, while a comprehensive review into EMA is conducted.
Alongside this increase to the EMA, Jeremy Miles also announced funding to allow free appeals for economically disadvantaged learners taking general and vocational qualifications in Summer 2023.
For further information please select the following link Wales first in the UK to increase Education Maintenance Allowance payment | GOV.WALES
Recruit an apprentice and transform your business by securing the skills you need now and in the future, for further information please select the following link Apprenticeships | Business Wales Skills Gateway (gov.wales)