Time to apply for education grants

TOWER HAMLETS has always been in the lead when it comes to helping young people stay on in education. And if you are a young person doing just that – at school or college level or going to university – and you meet the financial conditions, it’s time to apply for your grant.

There are two forms of support – the first for students over 16. The Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) was brought in by the Labour Government in 1999. Tower Hamlets was one of the boroughs which piloted the scheme. The pilot was a success, and the scheme was rolled out across the country.

David Cameron’s Tory/Lib-Dem “Austerity” Coalition ended EMA in 2011. The then newly elected Mayor of Tower Hamlets, Lutfur Rahman, decided to keep it and fund it locally – the only Mayor in England to do so. He knew how important this money was to sixth-formers and college students who came from low-income families. It helped them buy books, lunch and travel – to afford education.

The Labour Administration, under John Biggs, which was in the Town Hall from 2015-2022 cut the EMA – but the re-elected Mayor Lutfur Rahman restored it in October 2022.

Tony Blair’s New Labour Government introduced tuition fees for university students in 1998. David Cameron’s Tory “Austerity” Government ended maintenance grants for university students in 2016. Mayor Lutfur Rahman dealt with both problems by introducing a University Bursary for students from low-income families. Labour’s John Biggs scrapped the bursary scheme in 2015 – and Mayor Lutfur Rahman brought it back in August 2022.

Financial support is crucial to helping young people stay on in education – but it relies on determined and pro-education politicians to keep it in place. Mayor Lutfur Rahman sees this financial support as an investment in the borough’s young people.

“We are committed to ensuring that no young person is held back from achieving their potential because of financial hardship,” he explained. “Since these schemes were re-introduced, we have invested more than £5.7million in supporting local students, helping nearly 6,500 young people continue their education and pursue their ambitions. These grants are a practical investment in our young people and in the future success of our borough, and I encourage everyone who is eligible to apply.”

●To apply for EMA or a University Bursary, go to:
Applications for EMA or University Bursaries

●Read more about it:
Island Network celebrates local achievement
More school exam results up in Tower Hamlets