How much is Education Maintenance Allowance in Northern Ireland?

EMA is a means-tested allowance of £30 a week, paid fortnightly into your bank account. Two bonus payments of £100 may also be paid, one in January and one in June, if you meet the goals set out in your Learning Agreement.

Can I get EMA on Skills for Life and Work?

No. Any course that attracts a training allowance is not covered by EMA. On Skills for Life and Work with Rutledge you receive a £40 weekly training allowance instead, which is more than the £30 weekly EMA and is not means tested.

What is the household income limit for EMA?

£20,500 a year or less if you are the only dependent child in the household, or £22,500 a year or less if there is at least one other dependent child eligible for Child Benefit in the household.

Does getting EMA affect other benefits?

No. Receiving EMA does not affect any benefits you or your family already receive.

How do I apply for EMA?

You apply through the EMA scheme using the application form and guidance notes published on nidirect. Application forms are also available from schools and further education colleges. You will need a bank account in your own name that can accept direct credits, so allow a few weeks to set one up.

Do I get paid on a Rutledge training programme?

Yes. Trainees on Skills for Life and Work receive a £40 weekly training allowance, travel expenses, a £100 bonus after 13 weeks on programme, and a £50 payment for referring a friend who joins and also completes 13 weeks.

Money while you learn · Northern Ireland

Education
Maintenance
Allowance.

EMA is a means-tested allowance of £30 a week, paid fortnightly, for 16 to 19 year olds staying on at school or going to a further education college in Northern Ireland. It is there to help with travel, books and the everyday costs of studying.

If you train with Rutledge instead, EMA does not apply, because any course that attracts a training allowance sits outside the EMA scheme. You receive a £40 weekly training allowance instead. Both routes are set out plainly below so you can work out which one leaves you better off.

£30

a week EMA, paid fortnightly

£100

bonus twice a year on EMA, January and June

£40

a week training allowance with Rutledge

Eligibility

Who can get EMA

01Your ageYou are 16, 17, 18 or 19, with your birthday falling inside the window set for that academic year.
02Household income£20,500 a year or less where you are the only dependent child, or £22,500 or less where there is at least one other dependent child eligible for Child Benefit in your household.
03Your courseFull time at school, or a minimum of 15 guided hours a week at an approved further education college in Northern Ireland, on an eligible course up to and including Level 3.
04AttendanceYou attend all your classes. Payments are made fortnightly for as long as you keep meeting your school or college attendance requirements.
05Nationality and residencyYou meet the nationality and residency rules set out in the EMA scheme. UK citizens normally living in the UK will usually qualify.

Figures shown are those published for the current EMA scheme. Always check the official guidance on nidirect before you apply, as thresholds and dates are reviewed each academic year.

Compare

EMA or a training allowance

You cannot receive both. Which one you get depends on where you study, not on which one you would prefer.

Education Maintenance Allowance

Where you study: School sixth form or further education college
What you are paid: £30 a week, paid fortnightly
Bonuses: Two £100 bonus payments, one in January and one in June, if you meet the goals in your Learning Agreement
Means tested: Means tested on household income
How you apply: You apply yourself, through the EMA scheme

Skills for Life and Work training allowance

Where you study: A Rutledge training centre, with a real work placement
What you are paid: £40 a week training allowance
Bonuses: £100 start bonus once you have stayed on the programme 13 weeks, £50 refer a friend when they join and complete 13 weeks too, plus ongoing achievement bonuses and travel expenses
Means tested: Not means tested
How you apply: You register your interest with your local Rutledge branch

Applying

How to apply for EMA

01
Decide what you want to study and where. EMA covers courses up to and including Level 3, such as GCSEs, A levels, NVQ Levels 1 to 3 and BTEC awards.
02
Open a bank account in your own name that can accept direct credits. This can take a few weeks, so start early.
03
Download the EMA application form and guidance notes from nidirect, or pick up a printed copy from your school or further education college.
04
Send the form back with the evidence requested. If you hold a valid UK passport you can enter the details on the form rather than posting the passport.
05
Sign your Learning Agreement once you enrol. Your attendance is what keeps the fortnightly payments coming, and it is what unlocks the two £100 bonuses.

Rutledge does not administer EMA and cannot process an EMA application on your behalf. Applications are handled by the EMA scheme directly.

The Rutledge route

£40 a week, a real placement, and a qualification at the end.

Skills for Life and Work is the Department for the Economy's training programme for school leavers. You train at your local Rutledge centre, go out on a real work placement with a Northern Ireland employer, and finish with recognised qualifications. To be eligible you must be under 18 and have attained the minimum school leaving age by 30 June, with extended eligibility up to 21 where you have a recognised disability, or up to 24 if you have a care-experienced background.

£40 weekly training allowance, not means tested
£100 start bonus once you have stayed on programme 13 weeks
£50 when you refer a friend who joins and completes 13 weeks too
Ongoing achievement bonuses and travel expenses

About Skills for Life and Work Or look at apprenticeships

Questions

Common questions

How much is Education Maintenance Allowance in Northern Ireland?: EMA is a means-tested allowance of £30 a week, paid fortnightly into your bank account. Two bonus payments of £100 may also be paid, one in January and one in June, if you meet the goals set out in your Learning Agreement.
Can I get EMA on Skills for Life and Work?: No. Any course that attracts a training allowance is not covered by EMA. On Skills for Life and Work with Rutledge you receive a £40 weekly training allowance instead, which is more than the £30 weekly EMA and is not means tested.
What is the household income limit for EMA?: £20,500 a year or less if you are the only dependent child in the household, or £22,500 a year or less if there is at least one other dependent child eligible for Child Benefit in the household.
Does getting EMA affect other benefits?: No. Receiving EMA does not affect any benefits you or your family already receive.
How do I apply for EMA?: You apply through the EMA scheme using the application form and guidance notes published on nidirect. Application forms are also available from schools and further education colleges. You will need a bank account in your own name that can accept direct credits, so allow a few weeks to set one up.
Do I get paid on a Rutledge training programme?: Yes. Trainees on Skills for Life and Work receive a £40 weekly training allowance, travel expenses, a £100 bonus after 13 weeks on programme, and a £50 payment for referring a friend who joins and also completes 13 weeks.

Get started

Register your interest

Tell us your nearest town and the local training team will get in touch to talk through what you would be paid, what you would study and when the next intake starts.

Government-funded provision

Rutledge delivers Skills for Life and Work under contract with the Department for the Economy. There is no fee to the trainee, the programme is fully funded by DfE.

EducationMaintenanceAllowance.