This information applies to England and Wales
A Local Education Authority (LEA) does not have to give financial help to any student over the age of 16. However, it does have the power to help if it chooses to. Each LEA has its own rules for helping students in further education. Your son should ask the LEA if any help is available.
If your home is in Wales your son may be entitled to an Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) if he is aged between 16 and 18. If he is aged 19 or over, you could try to get an Assembly Learning Grant to help with the costs of his studies, even if his college is not in Wales itself. He could also ask at the college if he could have help from their Financial Contingency Fund.
In England, The EMA scheme is ending and no new applications are being taken from 1 January 2011. However, colleges have their own funds that can be used to help individual students. Each college has its own rules for giving out these funds which are called ‘Discretionary Support Funds’. Your son can find out more about these from the college itself.
It is also possible that your son may get Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance, Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit. However, the rules for claiming these benefits if you are a student are restricted to certain kinds of students and many will not be able to get help in this way.
For more information about an EMA, LEA grants and benefits, in England, see Financial help for students aged 16 to 19 and in Wales, see Student finance Wales.
For information about other financial help, see Help with school costs.
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