Education Maintenance Allowances (EMA) awarded in Wales: September 2017 to August 2018

EMA is a weekly allowance linked to satisfactory attendance, paid fortnightly to eligible students aged 16 to 19.

The data, based on applications received by 1 September 2018, are correct as at 4 September 2018.

Main points

• Approved applications were down 5% on last year, whilst the total number of applications received was up by 9%.
• 27,870 applications were received for 2017/18.
• 22,790 (82%) of applications received were approved, 905 (3%) were rejected and 910 (3%) were incomplete(a).
• 9,540 (42%) of approved applications were from 16 year olds, 8,965 (39%) were from 17 year olds and 4,280 (19%) were from 18 year olds and over.
• 10,965 (48%) of approved applications were from first year claimants.

(a) These are applications that are either missing information (for example no date of birth included) or missing evidence (for example birth certificate).