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GrantScotland

Education Maintenance Allowance (Scotland)

Local councils (school pupils) and colleges (Scotland), within a national scheme set by the Scottish Government

Description

Scotland's equivalent of England's 16-19 Bursary Fund — a weekly payment of £30 for 16-19 year-olds from lower-income households who stay on at school or move into further education college, intended to help with the everyday costs of studying (travel, meals, materials). Paid fortnightly and subject to maintaining attendance and agreeing a learning plan with your school or college.

Amount

£30 a week, paid fortnightly, subject to attendance

Deadline

Rolling / no fixed deadline

Eligibility summary

  • Available in: Scotland.
  • Open to individuals — not restricted to businesses.
  • Relevant income bands: earning under the Personal Allowance.
  • Relevant age groups: under 18, 18–24.
Notes
Must reapply each academic year. School-based applications go through your local council; college-based applications go through the college itself. Distinct from England's 16-19 Bursary Fund (different name, different structure — flat weekly payment rather than a vulnerable/discretionary bursary split) and from Wales's and Northern Ireland's own EMA schemes, which pay different weekly rates under their own eligibility thresholds.
Requirement
Aged 16-19, staying on in full-time education at school or college in Scotland, from a household with income below the scheme's threshold (thresholds are higher for households with more than one dependent child).

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How to apply

Apply via mygov.scot/ema, which routes school pupils to their local council's application and college students to their college; must be renewed each academic year.

View official source

Other areas' version of this scheme

Education Maintenance Allowance (Scotland) is run locally — here's the same scheme in other areas.

Grant

Education Maintenance Allowance (Northern Ireland)

Department for the Economy (Northern Ireland)

Northern Ireland's equivalent of England's 16-19 Bursary Fund — a weekly payment of £30, paid fortnightly, for 16-19 year-olds from lower-income households staying on at school or moving into further education college, with two additional one-off £100 bonus payments available for meeting attendance/progress targets set by the school or college.

£30 a week (paid fortnightly), plus up to two £100 bonus payments (January and June) for meeting agreed targetsRolling / no fixed deadlineNorthern Ireland
Grant

Education Maintenance Allowance (Wales)

Student Finance Wales, within a national scheme set by the Welsh Government

Wales's equivalent of England's 16-19 Bursary Fund — a weekly payment of £40 for 16-18 year-olds from lower-income households in further education, higher than both Scotland's and Northern Ireland's EMA rate. Intended to help with the everyday costs of staying in education, such as travel, meals, and course materials.

£40 a week for 2026/27Rolling / no fixed deadlineWales

Last verified: 1 August 2026. See the footer disclaimer — this is general information, not financial or tax advice.