Everybody will have heard about the new plans to replace EMA that were recently announced - now to be called the Bursary. On the one hand its good news in that more money has been found, however the £180m available nationally falls well short of the £560m being paid out currently.

How the new scheme will work is still unclear but there will be two allocations of funding - firstly new £1,200 bursaries will go to the most needy and then a further allocation will be provided to colleges to administer more flexibly for transport, course-related costs and other important expenses that learners find difficult to meet.

What does seem certain is that EMA will be paid to 2nd year students in 2011-12 if they were getting £30 in year 1 - it will be reduced to £20 but it is separately funded. There is now an 8 week consultation on the proposals before the scheme is finalised. Key for all colleges will be how the £180m will be allocated and what criteria will be used.

The lobbying by the FE sector and other agencies has paid off and it could have been worse with all the pressure there is on public services expenditure. If you want to give your views on the scheme you can at www.education.gov.uk/consultation.

September 2011
If you are looking to start a course in September, just a reminder to submit your application as soon as possible as spaces on our popular courses are already filling up fast. Staff are available throughout the Easter half term to assist you, just call 0800 731 2250 or email via our online contact form for more information.

And finally, I'd like to wish everyone an enjoyable Easter break and we look forward to the start of Term 6 on Tuesday 26 April.