To ask the Minister for Employment and Learning whether further education students who are currently in receipt of an Education Maintenance Allowance will continue to receive this; and for his assessment of the Education Maintenance Allowance as an incentive for young people to remain in full time education.

There are no current plans to remove the Education Maintenance Allowance from eligible Northern Ireland students studying at Further Education Colleges or Schools.

Following a public consultation and review of the Education Maintenance Allowance in 2012, carried out by my Department and our joint partner the Department of Education, it was agreed to better target resources to those

students in most need. From academic year 2013/14 eligible students have received £30 per week if their household income is £20,500 or less where there is one dependent child, or £22,500 or less where there are two or more dependent children. Two £100 bonus payments are also payable each year on achievement of the student’s learning objectives.

The review showed, and both Departments accept, that the Educational Maintenance Allowance does offer a positive incentive to young people from lower income families to stay in full time education.