Grants, Fees, etc.

MebbeCollege

Hi all, after looking up numerous sites that I could find there are just a few questions that I either couldn't find or was just too silly to understand.

I'm looking at returning to Third level education next September. I'm 24 years old and like most people around my time I rushed into college as soon as I finished my leaving cert. Started with a level 6 course, then progressed to level 7, then a level 8 add on course which I did not pass (Few reasons for this but would prefer not to go into them).

So the timeline would go something like this;

??? - June 2012 - Leaving Cert

September 2012 - May 2014 - Awarded Level 6 Higher Certificate

September 2014 - May 2015 - Awarded Level 7 Ordinary Degree

September 2015 - May 2016 - Was not Awarded Level 8 Higher Degree

June 2016 - November 2017 - Working but not earning enough in that year to qualify for a higher rate of Jobseeker's Benefit.

November 2017 - March/April 2018 - Had an operation, unable to work for a few months, now receiving Illness Benefit

March/April 2018 - September 2018 - Will be on Jobseeker's Allowance or will be working.

Also, was working 20ish hours a week during college and 40 hours a week during summers until November 2015.



I am looking to go back to college to study either a full level 8 course (4 years straight) or the same staggered way up to a level 8 course (2 years, 1 add on, another add on).

So...

1. Will I receive any payment/help if I choose the Level 6 course with the add ons or would I have to pick the Level 8 course straight away?

2. If I am on jobseekers will the months spent on Illness Benefit count towards the 9 months needed on Social Welfare?

3. If so, if accepted to the course will I qualify for BTEA as I have only spent 2 years out of education?

4.If yes, I will be 24 until halfway through September. Will I be paid the 24 year old rate (For Jobseekers Allowance), the 25 year old rate once I turn 25, or is BTEA always the same for anybody?

5. As I have only spent 2 years out of education, what fees would I have to pay myself?

6. If I picked the Level 8 course, am I entitled to any help from SUSI with paying my fees as I've only been out of education for 2 years? And would I get any if I picked the Level 6 course? (This kind of ties in with question 1 too. I do realise if receiving BTEA I cannot get a maintenance grant from SUSI, I'm just asking about the fees part.)

7. If I find casual work (X's and O's) during the coming months, is this included in the 9 months needed for BTEA or will the days I work count against this?


Thank you for reading, any help at all would be much appreciated, you can never have too much help.

Sup08

I'm sorry, but I do not think you will qualify for any payments.

Unless your reason for not qualifying is because if exceptional circumstances and the college is willing to waive the fee, the only option for you to qualify for grant assistance, is to have a break (complete break from any course that leads to a major award on the NFQ) from education and return to do a level 8 course in 2022.