Unemployed college places criteria

ilikerashers

Hi,

I'm wondering if anyone applied for the unemployed college places or knows how strict they are about the 6 month unemployment benefit rule? I was working as a contract employee until September last year when it wasn't renewed but only signed on in April, about 2 weeks from the 6 month mark. Am hoping theres gonna be some leeway but has anyone else tried something similar?

ed6hellsfresh

Well seemingly they take it pretty seriously, I got a call today from UCD Business school telling me I couldnt get a place as I fell short of the 6mth target by a whopping 6 days (I have actually been unemployed since Dec 08, but was out of the country for a while, but on JB for 1 mth before that).

What a load of crap, I am going to have to try and talk to them down at welfare but I am predicting they will have no idea what I'm on about.

ed6hellsfresh

Actually I was just wondering if anyone could give me a little advice.

I am going to have to go down to social welfare on monday to try and get "authorisation" for my appilication to be honoured, in which I'm 6 days short, for the college program.

But who do I speak to? Surely this sort of request isn't dealt with by your average person in the existing claims hatch?

So who to speak to?

Any help would be greatly appreciated

ilikerashers

I just mailed a copy of the dole entitlement form (mine is less than 6 months too). I did ring UCD and was told that the 6 months rule isn't definite and dependent on the number of applicants and suitability too so it's definitely worth having a try.

ed6hellsfresh

Ah Im totally confused now, I went down the other day, the superviser said that I would probably be eligible seeing as the back to eduction min/ requirement is 156 days and I have slightly more than that, he told me to get a specific form which he showed me, they didnt have it, and later sent me out a "Back to education ALLOWANCE" form,

Hard to know what to do here.

As for UCD, they said that unless it meets the requirement set out by welfare RE the 6 mths, they wont get the fees from the govt

ilikerashers

Quick update on this,
Was contacted by a lecturer today saying although I didn't meet the 6 month criteria, if i get a letter/email from my local welfare office stating they'll support my application, I can take the course no problems. Am off there now so will post the result later.

Was on the news last night that uptake has been slow on the courses so I'd be confident enough on getting a place.

Nehaxak

I got a place through this in DCU. Although I didn't meet the requirments for 6 months unemployed on the dole, I just used my JP50 redundancy form which was accepted no problems.

There was apparrently a lot of competition for the DCU places but there were a few lads I spoke with at one of the sessions who like others here, didn't meet the 6 months rule (nor were made redundant like me) but just went down the local social and got a letter no probs to back them up regardless. One of them was only 4 months unemployed.

You can take 3 modules per year which are funded under this programme. You can take more than 3 if you want but you'd have to pay full whack for anything above the 3 per year which are close to 900 Euro each in DCU anyway.

As far as I know, for DCU anyway the last date for application was last Friday. Not sure if that applied elsewhere but either way, no harm in applying as if uptake is not high, you've a good chance of being accepted (I'd like to think so anyway).

G'luck to those of you that are applying

For me anyway it's a big thing as I'm completely self educated post primary (such was the state of schooling back then, corporal punishment and all that crap drove me away from school at the time).

more_organ

I would really appreciate confirmation from anyone who got accepted without receiving social welfare for 6 months. What letter did you get from your welfare office? I tried to get one the other day and they wouldn't give it to me. I wasn't that bothered untill I got an e-mail from DIT saying my application is accepted subject to me receiving a social welfare letter stateing that on 21/09/09 I have been in receipt for 6 months or more.
However I have only been getting social welfare since mid April just over 5 months ago. Am I scuppered or has anyone overcome a similar problem? Any advice would be extremely welcome.

ilikerashers

I'm on the course now, I had big problems with my local social welfare office, they had no knowledge of the program and i kept getting sent to different people.

Last week I rang someone in the HEA (haven't got the name on me but can get it on Friday) and he said it's a common problem and to keep trying. After some more calls to the course organizer I got an email to following day saying I was accepted. So not sure how helpful this is but I garner that the course organiser can do this for you. She did tell me some welfare offices were giving the letters and if a place isn't filled that should be, you should stand an excellent chance.

Keep hassling and you'll get it. There is no formal criteria. Sorry if all this is a bit vague but the process is!

The course is well worth doing

more_organ

Hi Rashers,
Cheers for the advice. I went back down to the welfare office today and got a letter from them no problem saying that they would support my application. So it just goes to show it depends who you get at the desk.