The Mayor's Education Award

The Mayor’s Education Award is designed to help students who would have received the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA), a grant scheme which has now been scrapped by the coalition government.

Successful applicants receive £400 a year (paid in two instalments) to help towards the cost of their studies, for example to purchase books or pay for travel.

Current Year 11 students are encouraged to consider the Mayor’s Education Award while they make important decisions about what to do after their exams this summer.

The award is available to students who are:

• 16 to 19 years old, or 16 to 21 for those with special needs or learning difficulties, on 1 September 2012
• a resident of Tower Hamlets for at least three years at the time of their application (with the exception of young people who hold full refugee status and young people looked after by Tower Hamlets Council)
• attending a maintained school, college or learning provider that is subject to government inspection
• studying for a nationally accredited further education course
• from a family with a household income of less than £20,817 in the 2012/13 tax year (please note that household income includes taxable income, Working Tax Credit and taxable benefits).

Year 11 students who decide to stay in education and meet the above eligibility criteria will be able to apply for the award from September 2012.

The deadline for applications in the first round was December 2011. If however, students enrolled mid-term, they can still apply up to three months after their enrolment date.

Successful applicants from the last round should receive their first grant instalment by the end of February 2012. Written notification will be sent to all applicants; by email if an email address was provided on the application form.

For more information, students should read our Frequently Asked Questions or contact their school/college until the scheme re-opens in September 2012.