Students protest against the removal of EMA

The York College Students Union organised a mass signing of postcards by students, in protest against the removal of the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA). The postcards will be delivered to local MPs to highlight students' concerns over the abolition of EMA in the coalition government’s recent Comprehensive Spending Review.

York College Student Union president, Sam Garside comments: “A large number of students at York College are in receipt of EMA and live in rural areas. They travel a substantial distance to get to college. EMA is a way of affording this transport and we believe that scrapping EMA is a backwards step in terms of providing a skilled workforce for the future.”

Said York College principal, Dr Alison Birkinshaw: “The Educational Maintenance Allowance has played such an important part in supporting young people to stay in learning. We know that our students travel long distances and spend large sums of money on transport to college and at a time when Local Authorities are reviewing the support they give to transport for students, the withdrawal of this funding will significantly disadvantage students who wish to stay in learning but cannot afford to do so. We are convening a small group to look at the alternative funding that may be available and are lobbying for the decision to be reversed.”