Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA)

Eligibility and conditions

You must meet the following conditions to receive EMA payments:

1. Adhere to your Learning Agreement - including attendance, behaviour, and progress.
2. Attend a minimum of 21 hours per week of guided learning (for school pupils).
3. Notify your Learning Centre of any changes to your learning plan.
4. Report changes (address, contact, circumstances) within 5 working days. Bank details must be updated in writing to the EMA Unit at least 7 working days before a payment date.
5. Maintain 100% attendance each week to receive payment. Authorised absences are accepted.
6. Lateness may affect your payment. More than one late per week may result in non-payment.
7. Payments are made fortnightly in arrears and directly to your bank account.
8. Up to 5 days of self-certified medical absence per term are allowed. Beyond that, a doctor’s note is required.
9. Notify your Learning Centre on the first day of absence and continue to update them.
10. Submit supporting documents for absences within 10 days of returning.

Self-certified medical absence

Up to 5 days of self-certified medical absence per term are allowed. Beyond that, a doctor’s note is required.

Pupil self-certified sickness form

Non-payment scenarios

• long-term illness (subject to review)
• family holidays during term time
• formal exclusion from school
• missing scheduled exams
• unauthorised absences before study leave
• leaving school after the SQA exam period (S6 students)