Is anybody here at Third Level with Back To Ed. Allowance?

simon0brien · 03-03-2013 5:57pm #1

I am planning to go back with BTEA for the first year and take the Maintenance Grant thereafter. Are you on any other grants such as Council grants?

I'm 23 and unemployed, wondering what I'd be likely to receive weekly on Back To Education :P

Greenmachine · 03-03-2013 5:59pm

simon0brien wrote: »

I am planning to go back with BTEA for the first year and take the Maintenance Grant thereafter. Are you on any other grants such as Council grants?

I'm 23 and unemployed, wondering what I'd be likely to receive weekly on Back To Education :P

Excuse my ignorance but why would you go on the grant in subsequent years. Grant is not as good as BTEA.

simon0brien · 03-03-2013 6:04pm

Greenmachine wrote: »

Excuse my ignorance but why would you go on the grant in subsequent years. Grant is not as good as BTEA.

Is It not?? I was at DCU a few years ago and received the Maintenance grant for 1st year so don't qualify until I make It to second year.. Do you think I could get Back To Education for all 3 years of Uni.? :O I'm going to go to the Council's adult education councilors this week..

Maldesu · 03-03-2013 7:53pm

You get BTEA for the duration of the course, so if you are on a 3 year course you get it for all of it. Considering all the messing with the grant payments, BTEA is far more reliable. Gets dropped into my account on a weekly basis. No hassles at all.

jamesbondings · 03-03-2013 7:55pm

im on it, but as far as i was aware i was only entitled to it as i hadnt started any other third level course!??

bri007 · 03-03-2013 8:19pm

so if you did a 3rd level course before you cant get the back to education, I was in college 10 years ago, does that mean I wont get the back to education this September if I go back to do a different course?

jamesbondings · 03-03-2013 8:22pm

as far as i am aware, however i could be wrong.... i do hope i am

dharma200 · 03-03-2013 8:26pm

back to education is only paid if you are progressing, if you have done a level 6 then you must be progressing to a level 7 etc. Otherwise you cannot get it... there is some sort of appeal if you went to college more than 5 years ago on this but i have never heard of anyone being successful. if you did a degree and got btea you will not get it to do another degree. If you did a level 5 fetac course, you will not get btea to do another level 5. it is to stop people being eternal students i think. HTHs

jamesbondings · 03-03-2013 8:27pm

what if you dropped out of a course??

bri007 · 03-03-2013 8:30pm

I did a level 7 ten years ago, I want to do a level 8 in a different course?

jamesbondings · 03-03-2013 8:32pm

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/back_to_education/back_to_education_allowance.html

hope this helps

dharma200 · 03-03-2013 8:34pm

If you are progressing levels then you should be fine:

The approved full-time education course must lead to a higher qualification on the National Framework of Qualifications other than that already held. It is not considered that existing graduates should have an entitlement to BTEA to pursue a course at a similar qualification level as, inter alia, this can lead to displacement of persons seeking such qualifications for the first time. Reference should be made to the National Framework of Qualifications (see appendix 3) e.g. If a person holds a Fetac level 5 qualification, they must be progressing to a level 6 qualification.

Maldesu · 03-03-2013 9:45pm

bri007 wrote: »

so if you did a 3rd level course before you cant get the back to education, I was in college 10 years ago, does that mean I wont get the back to education this September if I go back to do a different course?

If you didn't complete the course you should be ok. I had been in college before but never completed and am on BTEA.

Annasopra · 03-03-2013 10:25pm

simon0brien wrote: »

I am planning to go back with BTEA for the first year and take the Maintenance Grant thereafter. Are you on any other grants such as Council grants?

I'm 23 and unemployed, wondering what I'd be likely to receive weekly on Back To Education :P

What do you receive at the moment weekly?

Annasopra · 03-03-2013 10:27pm

bri007 wrote: »

so if you did a 3rd level course before you cant get the back to education, I was in college 10 years ago, does that mean I wont get the back to education this September if I go back to do a different course?

If you are progressing and doing a higher level course you might

simon0brien · 04-03-2013 2:11am

mango salsa wrote: »

What do you receive at the moment weekly?

I get 143 Euro but I'm 100% focused on third level :P Saving to pay for It but It's tricky to save :O

paperclip2 · 04-03-2013 10:31am

The rates were changed in the budget. People up to aged 25 can get a max of €160 / week. For everyone else they get the same amount of money as they would get if they weren't in college.

Just be aware that there is a systematic review of BTEA going on at the moment. According to the DSP BTEA section they aren't accepting any BTEA applications for processing at present. They hope to have the recommended changes sorted out within the next month so there could be more amendments to the scheme beyond those announced in the budget before Sept.

simon0brien · 04-03-2013 4:21pm

paperclip2 wrote: »

The rates were changed in the budget. People up to aged 25 can get a max of €160 / week. For everyone else they get the same amount of money as they would get if they weren't in college.

Just be aware that there is a systematic review of BTEA going on at the moment. According to the DSP BTEA section they aren't accepting any BTEA applications for processing at present. They hope to have the recommended changes sorted out within the next month so there could be more amendments to the scheme beyond those announced in the budget before Sept.

Cheers I had no idea about that.
Do you think there will be a radical reshaping?
If It resembles anything like my Jobseekers payment I'll be able to
get by.

paperclip2 · 04-03-2013 4:53pm

No idea what the outcome will be. There's been so many changes to education funding over the last while its impossible to predict what changes will be made, if any.

jamesbondings · 04-03-2013 5:33pm

paperclip2 wrote: »

The rates were changed in the budget. People up to aged 25 can get a max of €160 / week. For everyone else they get the same amount of money as they would get if they weren't in college.

Just be aware that there is a systematic review of BTEA going on at the moment. According to the DSP BTEA section they aren't accepting any BTEA applications for processing at present. They hope to have the recommended changes sorted out within the next month so there could be more amendments to the scheme beyond those announced in the budget before Sept.

Does this include those who are on it already and need to reaply next year?

paperclip2 · 05-03-2013 10:18am

No idea as yet. It will be a few more weeks at least before there's any info on it as far as I know. I'll stick it up when I get it.

Annasopra · 05-03-2013 10:44am

jamesbondings wrote: »

Does this include those who are on it already and need to reaply next year?

The budget changes on the rates don't - that is only for new applicants.

They did abolish the 300 eur book allowance though and that is for new and existing applicants

mcleixlip · 11-03-2013 11:43pm

Very important. Before you put yourself through hell - make sure you qualify for BTEA as early as possible. If you fall short, you can get an extra couple of days by asking the deciding officer to take into consideration the days between final date on your P45 and actually date of registered unemployed - they are accommodating on this. I still fell short by 4 days last Sept and had to de-register. It was heartbreaking. There is NO leeway what-so-ever for "pretty close" - either you make it or you don't. Check with your welfare office immediately, DON'T take the word of some FÁS guy of "ah, you'll be grand" - you mightn't be.

simon0brien · 12-03-2013 1:19am

mcleixlip wrote: »

Very important. Before you put yourself through hell - make sure you qualify for BTEA as early as possible. If you fall short, you can get an extra couple of days by asking the deciding officer to take into consideration the days between final date on your P45 and actually date of registered unemployed - they are accommodating on this. I still fell short by 4 days last Sept and had to de-register. It was heartbreaking. There is NO leeway what-so-ever for "pretty close" - either you make it or you don't. Check with your welfare office immediately, DON'T take the word of some FÁS guy of "ah, you'll be grand" - you mightn't be.

That's terrible

I'm very sorry for you.. How ridiculous.. I've been out of work for a year and a half so I'll be okay

byrnem31 · 14-03-2013 8:45am

simon0brien wrote: »

That's terrible I'm very sorry for you.. How ridiculous.. I've been out of work for a year and a half so I'll be okay

Dont know if they still do it but I got a VTOS payment 4 years ago as I was on social welfare over 1 year. I got an extra 40 euro on top of my social welfare payment. Also, I completed two fetac level 5's in two years so I didn't need to progress the 1st year.
When I started a college degree in 2009 I was the last year eligible for both the grant and the BTEA, I was rolling in it. Ahhh, the good oul' days.
Anyways, look into VTOS.

paperclip2 · 14-03-2013 10:26am

VTOS has changed a good deal. Now you will only receive the same amount as you would on Jobseekers and for those who are long-term unemployed i.e. a year or longer they will get an extra €20 per week.
However most of your text-books are usually provided on a student loan scheme.

Is anybody here at Third Level with Back To Ed. Allowance?

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