Extra 3,500 students set to receive EMA payments from September

An extra 3,500 sixth form and college students in Wales will be eligible for a £40 payment each week.

Currently, more than 16,000 students across Wales are eligible for the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA), but the threshold to qualify for the payment is set to be expanded from September.

Currently, the income threshold for households with one dependent child is currently £20,817 per year.

This will increase to £23,400, meaning families with a yearly household income of £23,400 or less will be eligible to receive EMA, the Welsh Government has announced.

The threshold for households with two or more dependents is currently £23,077. This will increase to £25,974, meaning families with a household income of £25,974 or less will be eligible for the payments.

The purpose of EMA, which is paid to pupils aged between 16 and 18, is to cover the costs involved in further education, such as transport or meals.

EMA was ended in England in 2011, and is retained at a lower rate of £30 in Scotland and Northern Ireland. In Wales, it was increased from £30 to £40 back in 2023.

In the 2022/23 academic year, there were 1,030 successful EMA applicants in Caerphilly County Borough. Figures from 2023/24 are yet to be released.

Vikki Howells, who is Wales’ further and higher education minister, said: “Wales already delivers the most generous EMA 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.”

Ms Howells, who is a former assistant head of sixth form at Caerphilly’s St Cenydd Comprehensive, continued: “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 increase has been welcomed by the National Union of Students (NUS) Cymru. Its president, Deio Owen, said: “We have been campaigning for this for quite some time, and we are delighted that the Welsh Government has finally listened to student voices.

“I look forward to working ever closer with the minister in the coming months on areas where we can further strengthen the student offer in Wales.”

Caerphilly’s Labour MS, Hefin David, also praised the announcement ahead of a visit to Coleg Gwent, where he is set to meet students who are benefitting from the support.

Dr David said will the increase will help more low-income families in Caerphilly.