Is Back to Education Allowance worth it?

PlainP

paperclip2 wrote: »

If it was me I would ring them as well. Letters/ emails can get 'lost' especially at this time of the year.

Ok thanks will do.

antkeane

Sorry to give you mixed info mate. I am pretty sure I read somewhere about the 6 year gap thing. I had problems with getting my new course free fee eu status so I did a lot of reading up on it.
I suggest maybe going to citizens advice and getting a private room to explain the situation.
they may be able to call the fees department on your behalf and maybe organise a meeting of some kind?
I have found in recent experience that cover letters and meetings can solve a lot of things.
Too close to give up now!

azegele

Sorry for taking over this. I am new to this site and do not really know how to start my own. I just would like to know if I get the grant and BTEA for 2012/13, but then I get a job, even part time, will I qualify for a grant the next year 2013/14? Or is the grant assesed every single year while I am in College 4 years?
Thank you,

paperclip2

azegele wrote: »

Sorry for taking over this. I am new to this site and do not really know how to start my own. I just would like to know if I get the grant and BTEA for 2012/13, but then I get a job, even part time, will I qualify for a grant the next year 2013/14? Or is the grant assesed every single year while I am in College 4 years?
Thank you,

H azegele
If you get BTEA for this years course then you will keep your entitlement to this payment for the full duration of the course. so if your course is a 4 year degree you will keep your BTEA payment for the full four years. You can also work while on BTEA without it affecting the allowance. You wont receive a BTEA payment for the summer holidays during your course but you can either work or sign on Jobseekers for this period. Your BTEA will then restart on the first day of the next year of your course

Regarding the grant, if you receive BTEA then you will only be eligible to apply for the fee grant which will cover your student contribution which this year is €2250. You will not be eligible for the maintenance grant.

In the past if you received any form of the grant you would be contacted by the grant awarding authority to submit a renewal application to cover the next year of your course. This form would look for details of your income and your exam results. You can have a look at a renewal form here: http://www.fingalcoco.ie/YourLocalCouncil/SocialDevelopment/Education/HigherEducationGrants/
Scroll down to the green download list near the end of the page.

This year the new grant awarding agency is in charge and its not clear yet how the renewal process will be administered but I think its a pretty safe bet that you will need to submit income details as before.

Hope this helps

PlainP

antkeane wrote: »

Sorry to give you mixed info mate. I am pretty sure I read somewhere about the 6 year gap thing. I had problems with getting my new course free fee eu status so I did a lot of reading up on it.
I suggest maybe going to citizens advice and getting a private room to explain the situation.
they may be able to call the fees department on your behalf and maybe organise a meeting of some kind?
I have found in recent experience that cover letters and meetings can solve a lot of things.
Too close to give up now!

Ok so from reading through one of the previous threads on this forum it stated that if you are not eligible for free fees you can still get the tuition portion of your fees paid for you from SUSI (ie. the grant) now when I applied for the grant I did not know this, I just thought that they paid for your registration fee.

So

I rang SUSI this morning and the nice gentleman on the phone was able to tell me that I am "provisionally eligible for fees" .

My heart sang......

I am taking this information to the fees office on Monday, I know that I will probably have to pay something in terms of fees as I will be waiting just like everyone else on written confirmation from SUSI.

But, a silver lining has just etched its way into the blackness.

Thanks a million to everyone on this forum, ye all have been amazing. I probably would have given up long before I needed to.

Aurellia

Due to huge personal problems and a really low depressed patch due to a relationship breakdown in the summer and then running around after Ex for arrears of Maintenance in Court today- i have left my grant application "sit" on the shelf, along with my BTEA application. My Grant is 54% complete.

I am a lone parent in receipt of OPFP and RA, and since July ,I work 14 hrs pw in a practice relevant to my studies.(this wont continue for the winter- maybe one day) I did year one through FAS and had that payment together with my OPFP. Second year is through the Further/Higher Education College 33km from where i live.

College starts tuesday and i'm totally confused what i should be doing, but have given myself a kick up the bottom this evening, and crying over men isn't going to get me my exams!!

-Is it too late to submit applications?
-The fees are less than €700 inc exam fees- There are the College 150 reg, and ATI reg fee 85, books 55 x 4, exams 330 (i am exempt from the Gov €200)
-Am i better off asking DSP to keep my OPFP and apply for grant?
-Grant will be small as i live close? So am i better on BTEA?
-I did a PLC course in 1999-2001 and had a grant back then- does this affect me
-If i am on grant and OPFP i cant keep RA ( €28pw)

I've myself totally stressed out and some logical guidance would be gladly welcome- what am i supposed to do , who do i contact, what do i apply for?

Thanks

antkeane

Aurellia wrote: »

Due to huge personal problems and a really low depressed patch due to a relationship breakdown in the summer and then running around after Ex for arrears of Maintenance in Court today- i have left my grant application "sit" on the shelf, along with my BTEA application. My Grant is 54% complete.

I am a lone parent in receipt of OPFP and RA, and since July ,I work 14 hrs pw in a practice relevant to my studies.(this wont continue for the winter- maybe one day) I did year one through FAS and had that payment together with my OPFP. Second year is through the Further/Higher Education College 33km from where i live.

College starts tuesday and i'm totally confused what i should be doing, but have given myself a kick up the bottom this evening, and crying over men isn't going to get me my exams!!

-Is it too late to submit applications?
-The fees are less than €700 inc exam fees- There are the College 150 reg, and ATI reg fee 85, books 55 x 4, exams 330 (i am exempt from the Gov €200)
-Am i better off asking DSP to keep my OPFP and apply for grant?
-Grant will be small as i live close? So am i better on BTEA?
-I did a PLC course in 1999-2001 and had a grant back then- does this affect me
-If i am on grant and OPFP i cant keep RA ( €28pw)

I've myself totally stressed out and some logical guidance would be gladly welcome- what am i supposed to do , who do i contact, what do i apply for?

Thanks

First off is at a PLC course you are going to start now? If it is level 7/8 you are not going to get anything. Second if it is a PLC you need to apply for BTEA NOW!! You need to prove you are on the course to (acceptance letter). If you are not repeating the same course you will be fine. Book cost... read about what torrents are.

Dee88

Hi

i was wondering if someone could help me..

I have applied for the BTEA and Vtos in august and i started my course at the start of september and they have started paying my vtos into my account since last thursday bt today i got a letter saying they accepted my application for the BTEA and that i should submit a letter from college but my question is

will my vtos stop?
will i get arrears including the 300 euro when they pay my BTEA (heard abt people getting arrears but dont know if its true)
will i still get my 20 that vtos had added to my money???

can someone help me please??????

antkeane

Dee88 wrote: »

Hi

i was wondering if someone could help me..

I have applied for the BTEA and Vtos in august and i started my course at the start of september and they have started paying my vtos into my account since last thursday bt today i got a letter saying they accepted my application for the BTEA and that i should submit a letter from college but my question is

will my vtos stop?
will i get arrears including the 300 euro when they pay my BTEA (heard abt people getting arrears but dont know if its true)
will i still get my 20 that vtos had added to my money???

can someone help me please??????

Yes, you cant get VTOS and BTEA. Fraud mate. Your going to get stung. What course are you doing? What level? (Also make sure you cover your user name ) Wish I did!!! I am assuming your doing a fetac 5? You cant get both dude. But VETOS will provide a very slight assistance with travel fares & 80 cents a day for food. If you get a level 5 grant and take BTEA, you f*ck up grants for a degree if you wish to follow on.

antkeane

That means if you go for a degree after. You will be doing backwards limbo and bobbing for apples in mountjoy.

paperclip2

Dee88 wrote: »

Hi

i was wondering if someone could help me..

I have applied for the BTEA and Vtos in august and i started my course at the start of september and they have started paying my vtos into my account since last thursday bt today i got a letter saying they accepted my application for the BTEA and that i should submit a letter from college but my question is

will my vtos stop?
will i get arrears including the 300 euro when they pay my BTEA (heard abt people getting arrears but dont know if its true)
will i still get my 20 that vtos had added to my money???

can someone help me please??????

Don't panic Dee
You can chose to stay on VTOS. Tell DSP that you want to remain on VTOS and will not be taking up the BTEA. If you haven't received any money from DSP you are fine. If you have just make an arrangement to return it to them.
You don't have to move onto BTEA just because you were awarded it. VTOS generally works out better from a financial pov.

Balmom

Hi, I am hoping to apply for BTEA for next year to do a postgrad course the PDE(Postgrad in education). From what I can see it looks like I can't get any help with tuition fees? No one seems to know anything. Can they expect someone unemployed to fork out 9,000? I'm so confused. Also someone else told me that if they do pay it will only be about 2,000 of the fees? Is it worth even trying to do this. Doesn't seem like they give you much help. Thnx

antkeane

Hey Balmos. From what I have read you cant cant get BTEA for postgrad.

Balmom

Hi thanks for the reply, that's the only Postgrad course they will cover

leaclara

Hi there, sorry to jump in but I've been reading what everyone has been saying about BTEA and the information has been great, and I've decided to apply for that and for the student contribution fees then next year. I'm really confused though, I understand that if the course is for four years I'll have the BTEA for the whole four years excluding the summers, but what I was thinking of doing for college was going for 1 year to GTI (im based in Galway) and doing the first year of the course, and then through the links scheme I can get into the same GMIT course. But would I still have the BTEA even though I'm switching colleges? I would apply for GMIT straight away and skip going to GTI but this year I didnt get offered the course until the fourth round of CAO offers and the course had already started so I would have had no proof to give the BTEA officers that I had my course. I really want to get it right this time because I'm desperate to go to college and I've had the worst luck the past few years! Can anyone give me advice as to what I should do? I would really appreciate it!

smiley1237

Bump diddle ump
Hi
I signed on there before Xmas because someone at college told me if I didn't in due time then I couldn't apply for btea. Now that's grand but I want to go working for the summer instead of doing nothing and hopefully try and make a dent in the expenses for next year. If I sign off now then am I screwed and back to square one as officially I wont have been signing on for 9 or so months before applying for btea. I hope not, a summer sitting around doesn't sound appealing.
thanks guys

Balmom

Hi yeah unfortunately you won't be eligible for btea if it's not continuous, I asked them about this before. Would you be able to go traditional route instead and get grant etc?

smiley1237

Balmom wrote: »

Hi yeah unfortunately you won't be eligible for btea if it's not continuous, I asked them about this before. Would you be able to go traditional route instead and get grant etc?

Your joking.
For the love of the God, so can't work over summer at all?
Not sure if the grant would be better than btea balmom. Then again I'm little informed on this stuff but that's a sickener altogether.
Thanks for the reply

Balmom

You're grand. I know it's a pain. Maybe talk to citizens advice, really depends on your situation as to whether you would be better off on it than grant. What course are you hoping to do? Hoping to go backmyself through BTEA so will see

smiley1237

Balmom wrote: »

You're grand. I know it's a pain. Maybe talk to citizens advice, really depends on your situation as to whether you would be better off on it than grant. What course are you hoping to do? Hoping to go backmyself through BTEA so will see

Hoping for earth/ocean at nuig. Got undenomanated science already so can do EOS through that worst of the worst. Fair few going for it.
When do you actually get confirmed for btea if successfull? Do they leave until end of summer? Maybe if sooner then people could actually get out and work a bit.
What are you hoping to do?

Balmom

Yeah I think it is late Summer or after College has started. I know they won't process it until you get a letter from College to say you are registered so preparing for the worst. Going to do PDE, UCD. I know it's handy to keep your payment but maybe if you were eligible for a full grant and worked part-time might work out better and then you could also have few months of Summer too? Hope you get some good advice and can make a decision soon.

myhubby

Hi. I have been accepted for voluntary redundancy by my company. I will receive approx. e54k between my statutory redundancy payment and my company's contribution. I will commence my redundancy on 1/8/13. I will automatically qualify for 9 months job seekers benefit payments.

The question I have is how soon after qualifying for the job seekers benefit can you convert this payment to a back to education allowance?

I knew I was going to qualify for the redundancy package so I had registered for a full time (i.e 9 months) VEC course. Having asked general questions at my local social welfare office I was told that I would need to be on job seekers benefit for at least 6 months before I could convert it to back to education allowance. This sounds ridiculous to me as I would like to get back to education as soon as possible and upgrade my skills and then be ready to apply for another job as soon as my course is finished.

Is there any way you can qualify sooner than the 6 months?

Thanks

paperclip2

myhubby wrote: »

The question I have is how soon after qualifying for the job seekers benefit can you convert this payment to a back to education allowance?

I knew I was going to qualify for the redundancy package so I had registered for a full time (i.e 9 months) VEC course.

Is there any way you can qualify sooner than the 6 months?

Thanks

Not sure about voluntary redundancy but according to the BTEA operational guidelines on the DSP website if you have statutory redundancy you may be eligible for BTEA immediately as long as you are awarded a relevant social welfare payment immediately before starting the course:

Persons awarded Statutory Redundancy under Irish legislation may have immediate access to the BTEA scheme, (or within one year of the award of the Statutory Redundancy), provided an entitlement to a relevant Social Welfare payment is established prior to commencement of an approved course of study.

Taken from http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Back-to-Education-Allowance-Scheme.aspx#1.9

Look at the last paragraph of section 1.12

myhubby

Thanks Paperclip 2. That is great news and it is brilliant to see it in writing. I am going to print that off and bring to the social welfare office with me. I just wanted to know as many facts as possible before I go to them in August. Any other advice would be greatly appreciated!!!! Thanks again

bush

Does anyone know when you can apply for the BTEA and how long before you hear back from them? I should find out if im offered a place tomorrow and I was hoping to apply for the BTEA and get a result from them before going through the hassle of the grant form.

paperclip2

bush wrote: »

Does anyone know when you can apply for the BTEA and how long before you hear back from them? I should find out if im offered a place tomorrow and I was hoping to apply for the BTEA and get a result from them before going through the hassle of the grant form.

Usually you can apply as soon as you have written confirmation of a course place. They need to know the start and sometimes the end date of the course before they will process the application. Not sure how long it takes to get a decision.

Just in case, if you're applying for a third level course and need your registration fee paid you would still need to apply to SUSI.

bush

paperclip2 wrote: »

Usually you can apply as soon as you have written confirmation of a course place. They need to know the start and sometimes the end date of the course before they will process the application. Not sure how long it takes to get a decision.

Just in case, if you're applying for a third level course and need your registration fee paid you would still need to apply to SUSI.

Thanks. Ive had it confirmed from the college that the course fees are covered by Failte Irlenad so I dont need to apply to SUSI.

runswithascript

Anyone know when the forms have to be in?

I understand they will not even process the application until we hand in letters that we have been accepted, but is there a date the forms must be in by before that time?

Maldesu

dusf wrote: »

Anyone know when the forms have to be in?

I understand they will not even process the application until we hand in letters that we have been accepted, but is there a date the forms must be in by before that time?

There is no real date as BTEA covers more than Uni courses. Just get it in before the start of course. You can fill out the documents and hand them in, but until you have a letter of attendance/proof of registration, you won't get your payment switched.

paperclip2

dusf wrote: »

Anyone know when the forms have to be in?

I understand they will not even process the application until we hand in letters that we have been accepted, but is there a date the forms must be in by before that time?

According to BTEA operational guidelines you should apply before the start date of the course but in exceptional circumstances you may apply up to 30+ days from the start of the course to send in an application:

Applications for BTEA must be made prior to commencement of an approved course of study. A person may submit an application for consideration within 30 days of the commencement date of the course, provided it is accompanied with evidence that reasonable grounds exist for doing so. In exceptional circumstances , applications may be considered after 30 days of the commencement date of the course, for example if a person did not submit a claim due to illness or other force majeure circumstances and the necessary evidence accompanies the application.

Taken from: http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Back-to-Education-Allowance-Scheme.aspx#1.8

Look at section 2.2.