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Mr.Saturn

Anybody ever get that one where you double-staple your acceptance/admin/confirmation letter to the actual BTEA application, hand it in personally, and they get back to you, a month later, with a letter saying 'congrats, app successful; please enclose your confirmation letter before payment's issued in the prepaid envelope provided.' Then, after all that, there's no prepaid envelope?

No? Just me?

abceire

Lovely, I'd to wait to get back getting a payment before I apply, so i'll be doing similar next week, sending it all in, I was told they won't be looking at BTEA applications until the end of August, so maybe that's why you got your stuff sent back?

Mr.Saturn

Perhaps. I think it was just a case of a clerical error/automated letter, and I'll just be told 'sure, we already have that' tomorrow, but I'm suitably cautious, considering a lot of the horror stories I've heard.

Long Term Louth

I think you have to register on the course before you get a BTEA payment, therefore a letter of registration from the college etc is required.

Maldesu

Long Term Louth wrote: »

I think you have to register on the course before you get a BTEA payment, therefore a letter of registration from the college etc is required.

Yep. I have to give them one to say I'm officially registered at the college. You need to give them one each year. The CAO letters only confirm you got a place on the course, but it doesn't tell them that you showed up to the college and signed up for the year

Mr.Saturn

I handed Social Protection a letter from UCD last month, stating I was registered full-time for 3 years, having asked admissions for one of those letter used for a BTEA app. Is there some nuance I'm missing, or should I've just gotten a confirmation of my BTEA starting in September having handed in a reg letter?

Maldesu

Depends what the letter from admissions said. I don't know how you could be registered a month ago when registration only started last week. What you can do when you have registered for classes etc is this (since you are in UCD) - Go to your SIS Web account, under the tab Registration, Fees and Assessments go to 'My Official Documents' and Electronic Documents and print of the Certificate of Attendance.
This is what I gave my local office last year and they had me changed over to the payment shortly after that.

Mr.Saturn

Registered, as acknowledged by UCD as an incoming full-time student, and not that I've put down for any modules yet. Pardon the confusion; I don't get my SIS thingy 'til next week, with the welcome pack and all. Thank you for the pointers, though.

I shall try again with admissions letter, mind, considering it fits what SW outlined in their recent correspondence.

Maldesu

Mr.Saturn wrote: »

Registered, as acknowledged by UCD as an incoming full-time student, and not that I've put down for any modules yet. Pardon the confusion; I don't get my SIS thingy 'til next week, with the welcome pack and all. Thank you for the pointers, though.

I shall try again with admissions letter, mind, considering it fits what SW outlined in their recent correspondence.

Acknowledged as going to attend and having the registration document would be viewed as different. You can accept the place but could still avoid going. Until you are registered in classes, BTEA don't really consider you actually in the college. Once you start registering for classes, you should have no issue accessing the Letter of Attendance.

abceire

BTEA how do you apply, I have the form here, so I fill it in now and give it in with my offer from the college? and have to go back with the registar letter when I reg for classes?

Maldesu

abceire wrote: »

BTEA how do you apply, I have the form here, so I fill it in now and give it in with my offer from the college? and have to go back with the registar letter when I reg for classes?

Fill it in and hand it in as soon as you can so they can start checking your details etc. You can give them a copy of the offer to show you have a place, but they will want a Proof of Attendance letter or something from the Registrars Office to show you are fully registered.

lilsparkle69

Hi

I filled in and sent in my BTEA form at the start of July and still haven't heard anything. Since then I have applied to SUSI, accepted a course in DIT and registered for the course today. It says I have to pay the fee of 2500 euro, and I'm just wondering do I need to pay now and BTEA gives the amount back? Or do I just wait and Btea/ SUSI pays?

Fees need to be paid by Sep. 16th so I'm quite worried.

Long Term Louth

lilsparkle69 wrote: »

Hi

I filled in and sent in my BTEA form at the start of July and still haven't heard anything. Since then I have applied to SUSI, accepted a course in DIT and registered for the course today. It says I have to pay the fee of 2500 euro, and I'm just wondering do I need to pay now and BTEA gives the amount back? Or do I just wait and Btea/ SUSI pays?

Fees need to be paid by Sep. 16th so I'm quite worried.

BTEA have nothing to do with registration fees. If you are entitled to free fees these will be met by SUSI. I would wait for a reply from SUSI before you pay any fees.

abceire

Maldesu wrote: »

Fill it in and hand it in as soon as you can so they can start checking your details etc. You can give them a copy of the offer to show you have a place, but they will want a Proof of Attendance letter or something from the Registrars Office to show you are fully registered.

I rang them Tuesday, the BTEA people, very friendly and helpful they are. The guy said just drop in the form and when you registar drop in that proof. Easy peezz.

abceire

The Social Welfare office said the btea people don't really do much until the end of August, so that might be why people haven't heard much even if they left in the form in July.

Twilightning

Hi, I was wondering if I could get some help.

I applied to do a part-time diploma course with BIMM in DIT and I was just given a place today. However, they require a €300 by next week and then €1395 due after that by around mid-September and I was wondering if there's any specific avenues I could go down quickly to help with payment? I'm currently on JSA and I applied to SUSI earlier on in the year and they got back to me with some documentation I've to send out, but I've been told that SUSI more than likely won't help me with this.

Is there anything I can do?

Annasopra

Twilightning wrote: »

Hi, I was wondering if I could get some help.

I applied to do a part-time diploma course with BIMM in DIT and I was just given a place today. However, they require a €300 by next week and then €1395 due after that by around mid-September and I was wondering if there's any specific avenues I could go down quickly to help with payment? I'm currently on JSA and I applied to SUSI earlier on in the year and they got back to me with some documentation I've to send out, but I've been told that SUSI more than likely won't help me with this.

Is there anything I can do?

If it's a part time course SUSI won't help

Are you registered with FAS or LES? sometimes they can help you get a TESG grant

Twilightning

mango salsa wrote: »

If it's a part time course SUSI won't help

Are you registered with FAS or LES? sometimes they can help you get a TESG grant

No, I'm not registered with either. Are there any other ways?

Annasopra

Twilightning wrote: »

No, I'm not registered with either. Are there any other ways?

I don't think so - you would have had to register with FAS to go on jobseekers though!

missinginfo

hi, can i get rent supplement in the summer from coco last grant in june and things gone very tight should i apply for rent supplement? until 1st susi payment in mid october?

abceire

I got approved for a BTEA, I'm cuffed. Just have to wait for reg with the college. Can you get rent help as well? Does BTEA pay you in the summer? I get 188 on JA is it 160 on BTEA? I believe you can work and get BTEA , does it work like the dole, were you just don't get paid for the days you've worked?

paperclip2

abceire wrote: »

I got approved for a BTEA, I'm cuffed.

Congrats:)

abceire wrote: »

Can you get rent help as well?

Usually you have to be on Rent Allowance before getting BTEA.

abceire wrote: »

Does BTEA pay you in the summer?

No. You usually have to sign back on or work during the summer. This wont affect your payment if you are progressing from year 1 to year 2, 3,4 of your course.

abceire wrote: »

I get 188 on JA is it 160 on BTEA?

No, on BTEA you get the same amount as you would if you were on JA. Its only people under 25 that get the €160.

abceire wrote: »

I believe you can work and get BTEA , does it work like the dole, were you just don't get paid for the days you've worked?

No. Usually your allowance remains the same and you don't have to declare your earnings as long as you remain a full-time student.

Just be aware that there has been a big revision of the BTEA scheme in the last few weeks and a couple of changes have been made to it lately. It would be a good idea to check the fine details with your local office.

What I've put up there are the rules etc that have applied up to now.

abceire

paperclip2 wrote: »

Congrats:)

Usually you have to be on Rent Allowance before getting BTEA.

No. You usually have to sign back on or work during the summer. This wont affect your payment if you are progressing from year 1 to year 2, 3,4 of your course.


No, on BTEA you get the same amount as you would if you were on JA. Its only people under 25 that get the €160.



No. Usually your allowance remains the same and you don't have to declare your earnings as long as you remain a full-time student.

Just be aware that there has been a big revision of the BTEA scheme in the last few weeks and a couple of changes have been made to it lately. It would be a good idea to check the fine details with your local office.

What I've put up there are the rules etc that have applied up to now.

Thank you an amazing post!

Panthro

Can mature students claim JSA over the Xmas? I'll be off college for the best part of a month.
I'm not on BTEA, but I am getting the grant from my VEC.
Thanks!

noisenotmusic

You'll keep getting the VEC payments all through the holidays. You might get one week where there's a "double" payment but it's just because banks aren't open Christmas week.

paperclip2

Panthro wrote: »

Can mature students claim JSA over the Xmas? I'll be off college for the best part of a month.
I'm not on BTEA, but I am getting the grant from my VEC.
Thanks!

If you're on VTOS that will be paid as normal. If you are getting the maintenance grant then no afaik you can't claim JSA as you aren't technically available for work. But double check with DSP to make sure.

bri007

I think you can get it in the summer when college term is finished but not during the christmas break

paperclip2

bri007 wrote: »

I think you can get it in the summer when college term is finished but not during the christmas break

Yes, you can get it for the summer period if you qualify

abceire

I've got some part time work for the xmas period, how does that work with getting the BTEA? Do I need to inform social? I'm full time student, but off for a month over xmas. Do I get less social the days I worked part time?

paperclip2

You can do part-time work on BTEA without it affecting your payment.

BTEA participants may engage in part-time employment at no cost without affecting their rate of payment but only after commencing BTEA, provided the work does not interfere with college attendance. However, any change in the financial circumstances of the spouse/partner will effect increases for qualified adult/child dependent allowance.

Taken from BTEA operational guidelines, section 1.16.2: http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Back-to-Education-Allowance-Scheme.aspx#1.5