EMA changed my life

Laura's in Year 13, about to take her A Levels and aiming for a career working with children. For the last two years she's received an Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) of £30 a week. This means she's been able to concentrate on her studies without having to worry about money. Now she's planning to do a degree in childcare. She's spoken to her Connexions personal adviser and university staff about the financial support she can access.

'I have looked into financial support for higher education, maintenance grants and bursaries - without these I would not be able to continue my studies. There is a lot of support I can get that will allow me to go to university. The support is really helpful as it allows lower income families to encourage their children to continue in full-time education.'