What about financial support post 16?

Cost can be a factor in making a decision on whether or not to stay in education, but there is support available for families and young people at different stages.

'Financial Help for Students' is a booklet that gives all the information you need on financial support for 16-19 year olds. It is available free from your Local Education Authority, school, college, Connexions centre and DfES Publications on 0845 602 2260, email dfes@prolog.uk.com

Modern Apprenticeships

If your teenager starts a Modern Apprenticeship or training:

• They will be paid a wage if they start as an employee.
• If they do not get a job straight away, they get a training allowance of £80 - £90 a week.
• Many training providers top up the national minimum wage allowance.
• Employed apprentices over 19 who have completed the first year of their apprenticeship must be paid the national minimum wage.

Entry 2 Employment (e2e)

If e2e is the best progression route for your teenager:

• They will receive EMA payment for attending (see below).

Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA)

EMA is a weekly payment to young people to encourage participation and achievement in Further Education.

EMA will:

• Be paid to young people entering Year 12 in Further Education from September 2004 who meet certain criteria which includes household income of around £30,000 or less.
• Be paid to young people in Years 12, 13 and 14.
• Be available for two or three years for some young people. Include periodic bonuses paid to the student as long as they keep to the terms of a 'learning agreement' signed with their school or college.
• Be paid in addition to other support and benefits provided by the Government, for example, the new Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit.

To find out more look on the EMA website (see below)

Learning Support Funds

If you or your teenager are having financial difficulties, Learning Support Funds can help them to stay on at college. Students aged 16 and over can get help with transport, books, equipment, childcare provision and residential costs.

Ask your Local Education Authority (LEA), school or college for details - see below for their contact details.

Care to Learn? - child care for young learners

This is a new financial support scheme to meet childcare and additional travel costs of young parents. From September 2004 Care to Learn? will be extended to include all young parents in learning under 19 years of age.

Call Care to Learn? on 0800 121 8989.

Post 16 financial support for people with special needs

You can discuss with your teenager's Connexions Personal Adviser all the extra financial support they may be entitled to, if they have special needs - whatever they decide to do next.

Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA)

The DSA is designed to pay for the extra costs of attending a higher education course because of a disability. They do not depend on income or the income of your family. This covers three areas:

• Specialist equipment allowance.
• Non-medical helper's allowance.
• A general allowance for miscellaneous expenditure.

For more information contact SKILL: the National Bureau for Students with Disabilities on 0800 328 5050, text 0800 068 2422, email info@skill.org.uk or visit their website - see below.

There are also telephone numbers you can ring and websites you can visit if you want to investigate extra financial support your teenager may be entitled to.

Check out:

The Advisory Centre for Education (ACE). They have a leaflet called Special Educational Needs: Sources of Help, which lists organisations providing support for students. Get your own copy, which costs £1.50, by telephoning, 0808 800 5793 or read it on the web (see link below).

DIAL UK. The Disability Information and Advice Line can put you in touch with a local organisation, call 01302 310123 or log onto their site - again see below.

Family Fund Trust (FFT) provides grants and help to young disabled people up to 16, exceptionally 19, and their families. Their book 'After 16 - What's New? Choices and Challenges for Young disabled people' is available at www.after16org.uk. You can contact the FFT on 01904 621115 or log onto their site at the bottom of this page.

Opportunity Bursaries

Set up by the Government and worth £2000, Opportunity Bursaries help students from families with an annual income of less than £20,000 to study at higher education level. To qualify, a student must be studying in an Education Action Zone or an Excellence in Cities area.

Ask your school or college for details - or speak to someone in Admissions in the college or university.

Dance and Drama Awards: for students age 16+

The Dance and Drama Awards are DfES - funded scholarships which offer greatly reduced tuition fees and help with living and learning costs at some of the leading Dance and Drama training providers in England. The Awards are for individuals who want to become professional actors, dancers and stage managers. For an information booklet about the Dance and Drama Awards call 0845 6022260.