BTEA and a couple of other queries...

Knifey_Spoony

Hi,

I have been studying www.studentfinance.ie inside out over the past number of weeks.
I am hoping to go back to college this Sept to do a post grad (after finishing my degree 3 years ago).
I'm trying to work out whether I can afford it.

If the grants system looked at this actual year I would qualify for the maintenance grant without a doubt. However, since it looks at 2008 figures...I'm not so sure.

According to studentfinance.ie, if you are in receipt of a social welfare payment for 12 months, you are entitled to the BTEA.
Come Sept, I will have been recieving a portion of the jobseekers benefit/allowance (not sure which one) (re. a 3 day week), for 9 months.
Are they very strict on the "12 month" criteria...or do they look at each individual case, especially given the current economic situation?

Re. the maintenance grant itself...do the figures for "reckonable income" on this chart http://www.studentfinance.ie/index.php3?area=products&CategoryID=9399&living=0&dependents=1&studying=1&parents=0 include any social welfare payments?
Or are the threshold amounts purely in relation to income from employment?

Also, are they completely strict on looking at the previous years figures? My families circumstances changed significantly early this year, so I'm wondering would they take this into consideration?


THanks a million.

I have been on studentfinance.ie so much over the past few days, that the answers to these might quite possibly be staring me in the face and I cant see them!

stressed out

As far as I know the 12months have been reduced to 9 months in this years April mini budget.

snubbleste

Unless the postgrad is a teacher training course, you won't get BTEA. Criteria is very clear on that

From 1 January 2003, the postgraduate option of the Back To Education Allowance is payable only to persons who wish to pursue a postgraduate course of study that leads to a Higher Diploma (H-Dip) qualification or to persons in pursuit of a Graduate Diploma in Education (Primary Teaching). Other types of postgratuate qualifications are not recognised for BTEA purposes.

Are you a mature student?

If you get your hands on a maintenace grant form/guidelines from a local authority website, it should tell you what counts as reckonable income

Knifey_Spoony

snubbleste wrote: »

Unless the postgrad is a teacher training course, you won't get BTEA. Criteria is very clear on that


Are you a mature student?

If you get your hands on a maintenace grant form/guidelines from a local authority website, it should tell you what counts as reckonable income

The postgrad I want to do is a H.Dip in IT...so from the info you posted, that might qualify....I think.

Yeah, I will be a mature student, but since I am still living at home, my mothers income will be taken into consideration....despite the fact that I pay her rent, as opposed to her supporting me.

Verbal_Kint

Higher diplomas first off are just about the only postgrad course you can get btea allowance for.

I did not hear anything about it being reduced to 9 months in the mini budget. You know yourself from getting partial JSA that you have to jump through every hoop imaginable to get any sort of payment and believe me if you are one day short of 12 months they will not give you the btea.

Another thing the btea is not a guaranteed thing regardless of your means such as JSA. They can refuse you without any reason and you cant appeal. They will let you view any notes made on your application if it makes you feel better about getting refused and may help you if you decide to reapply a year later. With the economy that is becoming a more viable option for a lot of people.

Dont take this the wrong way but if you feel during your application process (if it has been reduced to 9 months otherwisse dont waste your time) that you are being messed about in the slightest way contact your local TD and get them to ask a couple of questions. You will be amazed how quickly things get sorted then. I know people who have waited 6 months for JSA to come through (the nice fat cheque does not fully make up for the months of counting the pennies to buy dinner in aldi) but you cant mess about with the BTEA as college is not cheap and you need everything sorted before your first day.

Look into the pros and cons of possibly moving out of your mams as that could have a negative effect on your BTEA and grant application.

If you give them the slightest reason to reject you they will. Dont take no for an answer until after the course has started because it will be very tough to get student loans this year. you will pretty much need to come from a rich family to get a proper rate on your loan or the banks will continue to only accept credit card applications from the less well off.

Tis not a good time to be the little man but that doesnt mean you have to take it easy:)

snubbleste

Could someone out there please confirm that they have received the BTEA for a postgrad other then education?

When i called the SW btea section last year, they were clear it was only for the Hdip in education

Knifey_Spoony

Verbal_Kint wrote: »

Higher diplomas first off are just about the only postgrad course you can get btea allowance for.

I did not hear anything about it being reduced to 9 months in the mini budget. You know yourself from getting partial JSA that you have to jump through every hoop imaginable to get any sort of payment and believe me if you are one day short of 12 months they will not give you the btea.

Another thing the btea is not a guaranteed thing regardless of your means such as JSA. They can refuse you without any reason and you cant appeal. They will let you view any notes made on your application if it makes you feel better about getting refused and may help you if you decide to reapply a year later. With the economy that is becoming a more viable option for a lot of people.

Dont take this the wrong way but if you feel during your application process (if it has been reduced to 9 months otherwisse dont waste your time) that you are being messed about in the slightest way contact your local TD and get them to ask a couple of questions. You will be amazed how quickly things get sorted then. I know people who have waited 6 months for JSA to come through (the nice fat cheque does not fully make up for the months of counting the pennies to buy dinner in aldi) but you cant mess about with the BTEA as college is not cheap and you need everything sorted before your first day.

Look into the pros and cons of possibly moving out of your mams as that could have a negative effect on your BTEA and grant application.

If you give them the slightest reason to reject you they will. Dont take no for an answer until after the course has started because it will be very tough to get student loans this year. you will pretty much need to come from a rich family to get a proper rate on your loan or the banks will continue to only accept credit card applications from the less well off.

Tis not a good time to be the little man but that doesnt mean you have to take it easy:)

Thanks a million for all that info

A couple more q's for you.....(since you seem to know what you are talking about )

...when should I apply for the BTEA? Do I need to have applied for my course first, and been accepted on it also?
And how do I go about applying?

Also...I'm currently claiming for 3 days social welfare (my job was cut down to 3 day working week).
Should I qualify for the BTEA, even though I am only claiming half the social welfare? Or would I have to be claiming the full weekly dole?

I heard recently, that because I am claiming for only 3 days, and not the full week, I would need to be claiming for twice as long (18 months, or 2 years - depending on if it has been reduced to 9 months or not). Does anyone know if this is true...?

Thanks

Oh, also, moving out of my mums house isn't an option at all at the moment unfortunetly.
Plus, I think you need to be living away from home from Oct of the previous year, to be assessed seperately.