Why fewer teens get help with the costs of college

When Maddie archetypal began studying A-levels astatine sixth form, she had to driblet retired due to the fact that her part-time occupation was affecting her schoolwork and her attendance.

But since starting A-levels again astatine assemblage she has been claiming the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) and has been capable to absorption connected her studies.

She said the £40-a-week outgo "lessens the concerns that I person astir money" and present does not request to person a occupation alongside assemblage enactment - but less 16 to 18-year-olds successful Wales present suffice for the means-tested payment and the income threshold has not changed for 13 years.

The Welsh authorities said it was considering whether the household income threshold should beryllium raised slightly.

College unit and students said the rules should alteration truthful much young radical are eligible for fiscal help.

When she restarted her studies past twelvemonth astatine further acquisition college, Coleg y Cymoedd successful Nantgarw successful Rhondda Cynon Taf, Maddie was encouraged to use for EMA.

The 18-year-old would person been eligible for the EMA erstwhile she was successful schoolhouse sixth form, but did not assertion it.

A autobus walk covers the outgo of the 80-minute travel from her location successful Treorchy to the assemblage field 15 miles (24km) away, but determination are galore different outgoings.

"I request to prime up food, books, stationery, pens, pencils... apparel successful wide and bags", she said.

"I don't person to spell and inquire my parents for wealth which is much unit connected them. I'm beauteous OK for things.

"In comparison, erstwhile I was going to sixth signifier I was putting a batch of unit connected my parents.

"I didn't privation to bash that. I didn't privation to inquire them for wealth for the things I needed for school.

"I started moving due to the fact that I felt pressured due to the fact that I didn't person capable wealth to enactment myself."

She started "prioritising enactment implicit sixth form", could not support way of her schoolwork oregon exams, her attendance suffered and she ended up leaving.

But the other fiscal enactment she received done EMA meant she had capable wealth to discontinue her job, adding: "I had the clip past to travel into assemblage and the clip to revise."

Her person Olwen, 17, said she could present spot however immoderate of her chap students struggled with costs astatine college.

"There were decidedly radical successful my schoolhouse that were struggling, but it didn't click for me," she said.

"I've seen that portion determination is much enactment present that’s easy accessible, it's clearer that determination are much issues with transport and with nutrient and supplies".

The fig of students getting EMA has much than halved since the 2010-11 world year, from conscionable supra 36,000 to a small much than 16,000 by 2023-24, according to a study for the Welsh government.

At Coleg y Cymoedd, 10 years agone 55 to 60% of students were getting the allowance, said assemblage main Jonathan Morgan.

"With the threshold being frozen, that's continually being reduced and we are present down to astir 40%".

He said students "on the borderline" felt the impact.

"They don't rather marque the EMA threshold and their families whitethorn gain conscionable somewhat implicit it. It would beryllium perfectly cardinal to supporting much learners if that threshold was looked astatine and a alteration made".

At the aforesaid clip assembly cuts could mean astir 1,000 Coleg y Cymoedd students missing retired connected escaped transport, helium added.

The EMA is simply a fortnightly outgo to 16-18-year-olds who enactment connected aft the extremity of compulsory education.

It is means tested and students suffice if they unrecorded successful a household wherever the yearly income is £20,817 oregon little if they are the lone dependant, oregon up to £23,077 if determination are different dependants.

In April 2023, the Welsh authorities accrued the allowance from £30 to £40 a week.

It tin beryllium claimed by students successful schoolhouse sixth forms oregon further acquisition colleges but 76% of approved claims successful 2023/24 were successful colleges.

The EMA started arsenic a UK-wide benefit, but it was scrapped successful England successful 2011 an replaced with a bursary scheme. It is inactive successful spot successful Scotland and Northern Ireland.

For Cloie-May, 17, from Bangor, Gwynedd, other enactment via the EMA means she tin bargain a portion oregon snack from the vending instrumentality without worrying excessively overmuch astir the cost.

"When I’m successful assemblage I bash performing arts truthful I volition bring a h2o vessel with me, but if I privation different portion I request to spell to the vending machine.

"We bash a batch of dancing truthful I request much than 1 portion and it tin beryllium a batch of wealth sometimes", the Coleg Menai pupil said.

"Normally I’m a idiosyncratic that truly worries astir everything. But erstwhile I’ve got EMA I cognize the money’s determination for maine erstwhile I request it".

Dr Steffan Evans from anti-poverty deliberation vessel the Bevan Foundation said the EMA allowed young radical to transportation connected successful acquisition "when they mightiness different person to spell into low-paid work".

He said low-income families had been squeezed retired of receiving the payment due to the fact that of the threshold freeze.

"There volition beryllium young radical who mightiness present beryllium dropping retired of further acquisition because, whilst their household lives successful poverty, they’ll nary longer beryllium deemed mediocre capable to get the existent captious enactment that EMA provides - and that volition beryllium having a existent compression connected household incomes," said Dr Evans.

A reappraisal for the Welsh authorities said determination was wide statement that the income threshold for receiving EMA was present excessively debased and had not kept gait with rising incomes and inflation.

A Welsh authorities spokesperson said it was presently considering the reappraisal findings "including the proposal that the household income threshold should beryllium raised slightly".

The EMA had been protected successful Wales dissimilar successful England wherever it was scrapped, the spokesperson added.