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Not sure how to afford next year

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  • 24-04-2011 3:51pm
    #1
    Mrs Garth Brooks
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,865 ✭✭✭


    I am a mature student doing a fetac course. There is another year left on the course. I have been to college before so I wasn't entitled to the grant. I left a job, so i wasn't unemployed, so wasn't entitled to the BTEA.

    For the past year I was living of savings. But dont have enough for next year. I was going to take a year out and save again but im not sure for a number of reasons. If i dont get work, it'll be a waste of a year. There is talk of adding an extra year onto the course so by the time I go back, I might have another 2 years to complete. And having to take another year out to save for third year. I made friends on the course, so would like to obviously finish with them.

    I was going to stay clear of loans cause I don't want to finish owing money. But i was looking at my savings and i might not need to borrow that much. It depends really.

    I was going to live of my savings until I some work. But I have read that mature students can claim the dole over the summer. Is this true? That can sort me out for living expenses over the summer, so i wouldn't have to dig into my savings and put it towards the cost of next year. When i say next year, its september again.

    So i am looking at taking out a student loan of about 7k which isn't that much really.

    So what is the best thing to do here? What would you do? Take a year out and save, depends if you get work? Take a loan out? And are you entitled to the dole over the summer?


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    #2
    Ophiopogon
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,189 ✭✭✭Ophiopogon


    You are not allowed the dole over the summer whether mature or not, although one around this would be to say that you do not intend to go back and than have a 'change of mind' at the end of the summer. obviously this is considered illegal so it depends on whether you feel comfortable doing this.

    I would say if you can get loan and try pick up some sort of work over the summer this would be best...I'm in my final year and have completely run out of money but I'm glad I stuck with it and got it out of the way. It will be a tight year for you but I think its worth it. esp if they will be adding an extra year to the course.


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    #3
    Mrs Garth Brooks
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,865 ✭✭✭Mrs Garth Brooks


    Ya i would obviously like to work over the summer and to keep busy. But if that doesn't happen, what do i live on? Ok iv got savings but i'd prefer to put it towards next year.

    Im not sure if what im doing is illegal as the course im doing is actually a one year course. I can finish up with it and not go back, or progress and do another year (which is what im aiming for, but im not telling them).
    So in the eyes of the state im finished once my exams are over next month. I'l have no problem getting a letter from the college stating the start and finish dates. So it can work, i hope.


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    #4
    Ophiopogon
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,189 ✭✭✭Ophiopogon


    If you intend to go back into education in Sept than technically you are not allowed to go on the dole, which I understood your original question was so you would have to with hold the truth while applying, as I said that would have to be your own personal choice.

    I think from my own experience, it was worth it for me to continue and finsh this year, even though it meant getting into a small amount of debt and having no life at all for the year.

    Do you feel that getting the extra year will actually help you in the long run? If so than as you know you need to make the sacrifice and maybe than use up the savings/get a loan. Just make sure that it would be worth it.

    If it has been more than four years since the last course in Sept than you may be able to get the grant next year?


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    #5
    bken1991
    Registered Users Posts: 26 ✭bken1991


    Ophiopogon wrote: »
    You are not allowed the dole over the summer whether mature or not

    I'm not sure whether this is true. OP, you should check with social welfare yourself to confirm this

    see here:
    http://www.welfare.ie/EN/OperationalGuidelines/Pages/ja_jobseekall.aspx

    JA Disqualification - course of study

    The legislation also provides that a person shall be disqualified from receipt of Jobseeker's Allowance while attending a course of study (including school/college holiday periods), except in such circumstances as may be prescribed. The exceptions to this disqualifications are :

    1. persons aged 21 years or over who have been in receipt of JA/ JB for at least 6 months and who are participating in approved courses of education, training or development (as per above), and
    2. mature students, i.e. persons over 23 years of age on or before 1st January in the year in which the course of study commences.

    Deciding Officers should note that disqualification while attending a course of study is completely separate from the availability condition. As mature students are exempted from this disqualification, they may be entitled to Jobseeker's Allowance during the summer holiday periods if they satisfy the availability condition in the normal way.


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