How do I apply?

Stay on at school or college. Claim up to £30 per week to spend on the things you need.

Applying for EMA

A downloadable form is available on this website or alternatively can be obtained from your school, college or local Jobs & Benefits office / JobCentre

If you are an existing EMA student then a renewal application form will have been sent to your home address. If you do not receive your renewal application form please contact the EMA Customer Services Team on 0845 601 7646 for advice.

What do I do next?

Think about what course you might want to do and where you might want to study.
Set up a bank account. Please note that it may take a few weeks to set up a bank account, so you should allow for this time prior to sending your application.
Complete the application form, which is available in schools and colleges from May. You can also download a copy of the application form from this site if you wish.

If you are eligible for an EMA you will receive a Notice of Entitlement from the EMA Scheme Provider which explains how much you could get once you have enrolled on a course and started attending school or college from September 2008.

Next you have to enrol at a school or college in Northern Ireland. You have to sign an EMA Contract in two parts. The first part covers what sessions you must attend and, in most cases, will also make reference to the course you are studying and might refer to the Code of Behaviour expected within their school or college. So to get your payment you have to attend all their sessions.

You will also have to agree another part of the EMA Contract. This may cover more specific learning goals for you and will be used to decide if you can receive a £100 bonus in January 2009 and June 2009. If you return to study at the start of September 2008, you may be entitled to a further bonus if you were accepted onto the scheme in academic year 2007/2008.

Where can I get further information?

Further information on how to apply will be available from your school, college or Jobs & Benefits office / JobCentre , or the EMA Customer Services Team on 0845 601 7646.

Who can help?

You can ask any of the following about EMA and your next steps:

your careers teacher
your careers adviser based in a Jobs & Benefits office / JobCentre or Careers Service Office
Call the Customer Service Team on 0845 601 7646. This is a dedicated helpline for young people and parents and is available Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 6:00 pm, Saturday & Sunday closed.

Downloadable Application Form

The 08/09 EMA application form for new students is available for download from this site. An Irish language version is also available. Please note that you willl require Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this file. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat, you can download it for free by using the link on the left hand side of this screen.

The application form can be completed in two ways:

You can use your mouse and keyboard to type directly into the various fields and then print the form.

Please note that some sections must be completed manually.

You can simply print the application form and complete it by hand.

However you choose to complete the application form, you must sign and return it to the address supplied with the originals of the evidence required. Not supplying the full evidence will hold up your application until it is received.

Please check the following once you have completed the application form -

Ensure DARD Bursary question is completed
You have checked the checklist and enclosed originals of all required documentary evidence.

Downloads

Completed Application should be sent to:

EMA Customer Services
Admail 3864
Belfast
BT1 3ZY

If you are having any problems with the downloadable application form, please call the EMA Customer Services Team on 0845 601 7646.

If you are a student in England, Scotland or Wales, please check the following websites for details of their EMA schemes:

England http://www.dfes.gov.uk/financialhelp/ema

Scotland http://www.emascotland.com

Wales http://www.studentfinancewales.co.uk