This paper draws on evidence from the evaluation of the piloting of the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) in England, to explore the extent to which a financial incentive to remain in full-time learning prevents young people entering the "not in education, employment or training" (NEET) group. Evidence from the evaluation would suggest that paying young people to stay on at school has made a positive impact on preventing some young people entering the NEET group. However, the EMA was less successful in attracting young people back into full-time education once they had entered the NEET group. In addition, while it might have been argued that the success of the EMA in increasing post-16 participation and retention rates has been achieved through "poaching" young people from government-supported training, the statistical evidence from the evaluation of the EMA pilots indicated that this was not the case. Finally, the paper explores the decision-making strategies employed by young people and their access to information, advice and guidance before they leave compulsory education, in order to highlight the particular difficulties faced by young people who subsequently enter the NEET group. (Contains 8 tables and 3 notes.)