Cash offered for teenagers' study

The grant has been taken up by 295,000 teenagers

Teenagers leaving secondary school in England this summer can apply from Monday for grants to support them if they stay in education next year.

Education Maintenance Allowances, worth up to £30 a week, are available to 16 to 18-year-olds whose families earn less than £30,000 a year.

The scheme is aimed at ending the country's high education drop-out rate.

Some 295,000 teenagers, mainly on A-level or vocational courses, have already taken up the offer.

Extended

But there have been concerns that students entitled to the financial support are not applying.

The UK has one of the highest education drop-out rates at age 16 in the industrialised world. And the allowance scheme has been designed to encourage more teenagers to stay in education or training.

Young people receive £10, £20 or £30 a week, paid into their bank accounts, with the amount depending on their family's income.

The allowances have been extended to include 16 and 17-year-olds who want to take short courses.

Initially, they applied only to those on longer - usually two-year - courses.

Students must sign a "contract" pledging their commitment to courses and payments depend on their attendance.

Application forms are available from schools or further education colleges.

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