Thousands of post-16 students in Wales eligible for extended EMA support

Thousands of additional post-16 students across Wales are set to receive the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA).

It comes after a Welsh Government decision to raise the threshold for households with two or more dependents from £23,077 to £25,974.

The change means that families with a household income of £25,974 or less will be eligible to receive EMA.

The move, aimed at widening access to financial support, will enable more families to apply for the weekly grant of £40, which helps eligible 16 to 18-year-olds with education costs such as transport and meals.

The uplift, effective from the start of the new academic year in September, is expected to benefit an estimated 3,500 additional students, bringing the total number of EMA recipients to over 19,000. Currently, the programme supports more than 16,000 learners.

Minister Further and Higher Education, Vikki Howells, said: “Wales already delivers 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 and 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.”

The change has been welcomed by the NUS Cymru, which represents 350,000 students in Wales.

NUS Cymru has long advocated for reforms to the EMA system by arguing the importance of providing adequate support to all students, regardless of their financial background.

“Raising the household income threshold for EMA will enable more than 2700 young people to engage with post-16 learning. That’s 2700 young people that we will now see continue with their education and continue to equip themselves for a better future”, said Deio Owen, President of NUS Cymru.

“We have been campaigning for this for quite some time, and we are delighted that the Welsh Government have 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.”

“Every student deserves the opportunity to succeed in their studies, and this announcement brings us closer to that goal,” added Cai Carter, Student Union President of Gower College, Swansea. ”

“We are committed to working with NUS Cymru and the Welsh Government to ensure that student voices are at the heart of decision-making and that financial support for further education remains a priority.”

NUS Cymru encourages students and their families to take advantage of the extended EMA eligibility and to continue advocating for further improvements in student finance and support.