Financial help post-16

Whether your teenager is staying on at the same school or going to a new sixth form or college, they may be able to claim Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) and/or get help from the school or college's Learner Support Funds. Some Local Authorities may provide help with public transport costs and there may be help with residential costs for students wanting to attend courses at colleges too far away for daily travel. Special help may be available for students accepted into dance and drama schools.

Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA)

Your teenager could get £10, £20 or £30 a week, plus bonus payments of up to £100 for doing well and meeting agreed targets. They can use the cash to help with their expenses and can still claim EMA even if they have a part-time job. It doesn't affect household benefits either, so you will still be able to claim things like Child Benefit and Child Tax Credit.

Your teenager may be able to get EMA after Year 11 if:

• they are aged 16-18
• they are:
  in full-time education at school or college
  or on an e2e programme
  or on a course that leads to an Apprenticeship (known as a programme-led Apprenticeship)
• your annual household income is below a certain threshold (for 2007-08 applications, it must have been less than £30,810 in the 2006-07 tax year).

For more information on EMA and how to apply, call the EMA helpline on 0808 10 16219 or visit http://moneytolearn.direct.gov.uk.

Learner Support Funds

Schools and colleges have Learner Support Funds to help out further education students aged 16 and over with financial emergencies, or if they have trouble paying for costs associated with their course. They can get help with the costs of transport, books, equipment, childcare provision and residential costs.

For more information, contact the student support or welfare officer at the college or the year tutor, student support or student awards officer at school.

You can find general information on Learner Support Funds at www.direct.gov.uk.

Help with transport costs

To see what help with transport costs your Local Authority may offer students aged 16-19, visit www.direct.gov.uk.

Help with residential costs

If your teenager wants to go to one of the 51 specialist colleges that offer courses, for example, in agriculture, horticulture or art and design, they can get help with the cost of living away from home. There is also a residential pilot scheme for students wanting to attend courses at colleges outside daily travelling distance. For more information, contact the student support officer at the college your teenager wishes to attend and visit www.direct.gov.uk.

Dance and Drama Awards

The number of Dance and Drama Awards is limited and competition for them is extremely fierce. They are given to those students who, regardless of their financial circumstances, show the most talent and potential at their audition with the dance or drama school of their choice.

Conditions do apply, though, and your teenager will not be able to claim EMA if they get a Dance and Drama Award. For further information, visit http://moneytolearn.direct.gov.uk.

Other sources

Some national and local organisations, including charities and trusts, offer grants to students studying certain subjects or who have a particular disability.

Useful starting points for finding such organisations include your local public library, the Skill National Bureau for Students with Disabilities website www.skill.org.uk and the Educational Grants Advisory Service website www.egas-online.org.uk.

Trainees on courses leading to an Apprenticeship (Programme-led Apprenticeships) who are unpaid may be able to claim EMA. Apprentices in England who are employed earn at least £80 a week and often more.

For more information, contact the Apprenticeships helpline on 08000 150600 or visit www.direct.gov.uk/apprenticeships and www.apprenticeships.org.uk.

Teenagers on e2e have their expenses paid in full and may be able to claim EMA as well. For more information, visit www.connexions-direct.com and select Work, then Work Schemes.

If your teenager is under 20 and a young parent and carer of their own child or children, they can get Care to Learn funding to help pay for childcare with a registered childcare provider, so that they can follow courses at school, college, on a programme leading to an Apprenticeship or on e2e.

For more information, talk to a Connexions personal adviser or contact the Care to Learn helpline on 0845 600 2809 or visit http://moneytolearn.direct.gov.uk.

Because of the way they are funded, colleges will usually be able to meet your teenager's disability-related needs, for example, by providing specialist equipment or additional support. Local Authorities must ensure that students are not held back from attending college because of transport difficulties, so they often provide transportation support for disabled students. The college may also be able to help to meet travel costs.

Your teenager may be able to get a place at an independent or specialist residential college if their disability-related needs cannot be met by a local school or college.

If your teenager gets a job or is about to start work, the Access to Work scheme can help them with the additional employment costs they have because of their disability. It can pay for things like the extra cost of getting to and from work, special aids and equipment, and adaptations to premises. For more information, visit www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk.

For help with other costs, young people with disabilities or learning difficulties should also apply to the other sources of funding described in this section that apply to their situation.

Your teenager's Connexions personal adviser can help you identify the extra financial support they may be able to get after Year 11. Other useful information is available from the Skill National Bureau for Students with Disabilities website at www.skill.org.uk.