As a former A-level student who received education maintenance allowance (EMA) at college, reading about the delays in payment this year was rather interesting.

When I was at college the allowance that I received was very important. It helped to fund my transport to and from college and even helped provide me with money for university. And I’m not alone with this. Several of my friends at college received EMA, without which they might not have been able to go to college, or even university.

So the fact that over 40,000 students are owed two month’s worth of payments is disgraceful in my opinion.

How it’s happened I don’t know, but one thing is for sure. Students are losing out due to mistakes by people who are paid handsomely to work for the government.

A recent survey found 6 out of 10 students from poor backgrounds would drop out of college if they didn’t have the EMA payments. Without EMA many students would not get the opportunity to go to college or even university, solely down to money.

And with so many not receiving the allowances they are entitled too, how many will drop out as a result?

Students have talked about having to cut back on food, and using any money for social purposes whilst trying to borrow money for transport to and from college.

At least Blackburn College have tried to help students. A £10 Tesco voucher is admittedly not very much; however it is not the college’s fault that their students have not received their allowances.

What the voucher does do is allow students to get some food without reaching further into their pockets, something that we students hate doing!

I hope that this is resolved soon, as I feel for those who are losing out. EMA is very important to those from poorer backgrounds and it gives many a shot at A-levels and even degrees.

I really do believe EMA is a good thing. Many of my friends who achieved excellent GCSE results were able to go to college with help from EMA, enabling them to pay for their transport.

Most of the people I know who received EMA achieved very good A-level results which got them into university and have used the money they have saved up from EMA for accommodation and essentials.

EMA is very useful to those students whose parents are unable to aid them financially. Speaking on a personal level, EMA enabled me to buy college equipment, learn to drive and buy a car, something my parents couldn’t afford to help me with.

I know there is a tendency to think students just use this money to get drunk. Undoubtedly a proportion of it does go on leisure, as does money from family and other sources. But I believe EMA is invaluable in helping those from poorer backgrounds go to college and university.