Need advice on Going back to college

Heart Break Kid

Hi, Im 23 years old -snip-.
My mother(lone working(basic CO with Civil service) parent with 1 young child of 4 years old) do not own thier house and it is rented by fingal county council.
I am currently listed as a sub tenant and pay my own rent to the council .
I don't benefit from her wages in any way.
Currently working for the same company for the past 4 years as a customer advisor(sales consultant).
I have been out of school since i was 18 and hold a less then impressive leaving cert with barely passing all my subjects and a foundation in Irish and Maths and two honors in History and English .A total of 135 points or something

For the past year and a half i have been wanting to go to college and do a plc course. However i was always worried about money issue and two would i survive.

I have decided to start a plc course on the condition that i could get a back to education benefit.

I was considering leaving my job soon and make sure i leave 3 months between now and when i start my course so i can claim Back to education allowance.

I would go part time with my job but as it currently stands i would only be given 8 hours a week. Thats even if they give me that option . So the back to education allowance would be a much better option.

So plan is to apply for mechanical education which is a level 5-6 fetac award and ideally continue at a higher level in DIT Bolton street or Tallaght if everything goes well.
Leave my job so i would be unemployed for at least 3 months

If you wish to attend a second level course you must be getting one of the social welfare payments listed below for at least 3 months (78 days of unemployment*) immediately before you start the course

Claim the dole or JSA, which ever im entitled for.

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

From my point of view if i stayed on technical facts i could get it but im worried if i dont.

Just cant bare the thought of being stuck in this dead end job for another year and not do anything with myself. Its demotivating and depressing. I need to do something with my life and i need a good education to back it


Please help with some advice or experience in any way, .....
Thank you for your time, its much appreciated

mp22

If you leave your job you may be disqualified from jsb for up to 9 weeks.

Perhaps you could do a part time course and keep your job while studying.(just a thought)

mrsbyrne

Stop right there! i know your despairing over your future and your doing your best to find a way out but your going to get into severe difficulties if you go down this route.
if you leave your job you will not get any payment from social welfare as you will have disqualified yourself by making yourself unemployed. go back to www.citizensinformation.ie and read it carefully. even if you did get a social welfare payment you would not qualify for BTEA this september as a PLC course is a third level course not second level. the second level condition is really only for people returning to resit the leaving certificate or sit it for the first time as a mature student.
would you not stay in your job and go down the evening class route? either that or apply for a VEC grant
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/education/third_level_education/fees_and_supports_for_third_level_education/maintenance_grant_schemes_for_students_on_third_level_courses.html
you will be means tested on all of you and your parents income in 2010, and the course will probably have started before you find out if you have qualified and if so how much grant you will be awarded.
i think the evening class route would be best. what does anybody else think?

Heart Break Kid

You can attend a second-level course of education at any secondary, community, comprehensive or vocational school. The course must be full-time and lead to a certificate recognised by the Department of Education and Skills or approved by the Further Education and Training Awards Council, for example, Junior Certificate, Leaving Certificate, Post Leaving Certificate or a City and Guilds Certificate.

Plc level five is considered second level from the quote unless im very wrong

mrsbyrne

taken from social protection website:
Further Education and Training Awards Council (FETAC):
In the majority of courses, the qualification awarding body determines if course is second level or third level i.e. FETAC is second level and HETAC (Higher Education and Training Awards Council) is third level. Applicant is requested, on BTE1, to state the awarding body of the qualification being pursued. However, if there is any doubt regarding the level of qualification or the awarding body, the school/college/institute should be contacted to confirm.

A wide range of qualifications are validated by FETAC e.g. FETAC Certificate (Levels 1 to 5) and Advanced Certificate (Level 6) and may, if full-time, be pursued under the Second Level Option of the BTEA scheme.

Comprehensive details of all FETAC awards can be obtained from the National Framework of Qualifications website . This also gives details of third level qualifications i.e. HETAC
yes certain level 6 courses maybe considered 2nd level, but you need to be sure. this does not solve your problem of qaulifying for a SW payment to begin with. if you give up work now you will be without any income for at least 9 weeks, how would you manage?