Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA)

Get money for staying in education

Young people aged 16-19 could get a weekly allowance of £30 per week if you are

in the City of Edinburgh Council area.

First, check that you match the conditions for an EMA.

If you are on a NOLB activity agreement, we will consider your application from the date you started your activity.

One application is required per academic year.

If you reached the age of 16 on or before 30 September 2023, and applied by this date, you could have received an award from the start of the school year in August 2023.

If you reached the age of 16 between 1 October 2023 and 29 February 2024, and applied by this date, you could have received an award from the start of the January 2024 term.

Applications received after the cut off dates are not backdated, however you may still apply up to 31 March 2024 for the current school year.

Apply for EMA

The award

If you are eligible for an EMA, we will send you an email to tell you. We will ask you to complete a separate form called a learning agreement. You must complete this form before we start payments.

Once you have completed the learning agreement, your school will approve your payments for each week you attend.

If you are on a NOLB activity agreement, your activity coach will approve your payments.

If you are being home educated, you must submit weekly timesheets showing your activities for the week.

We make payments every two weeks on a Friday.

Download EMA payment schedules - PDFs

Changes

If you change schools within the City of Edinburgh area during term time, you must tell us so we can arrange for your payments to continue.

If you move to a school outside the City of Edinburgh area, or to a college, you must make a fresh application to the new Council or the college.

Withheld payments

If any payments are withheld your school or activity coach should tell you and tell you why. The terms and conditions set out the reasons payments may be withheld.

If you do not receive the amount you expect on a pay day, please contact your school or activity coach.

Contact us

You can contact us to

  • ask a question about your application
  • give additional information
  • ask us to reconsider your application.

Contact your school or activity coach to find out why a payment has been stopped.

Please use our contact form for any enquiries you have.

We receive a high volume of enquiries and we will get back to you as soon as we can.

Contact school transactions

Download the education maintenance allowance privacy notice - PDF

School transactions

Address: The City of Edinburgh Council,
Transactions - Assessment & Finance,
PO Box 12331,
Edinburgh,
EH7 9DN