BTEA Second level to third level?

Celly Smunt

My Brother (not on Boards),is just finishing up his leaving cert this year and is currently receiving BTEA.We were just wondering on the Social Welfare website where it says:

"Time spent on BTEA,can count towards the qualifying period. You may go directly from one of the above schemes to Back to Education Allowance provided you were getting one of the qualifying social welfare payments listed above before you started the scheme. In all cases you must start your approved course of study within 4 weeks of leaving the scheme. Otherwise you must be getting a qualifying social welfare payment immediately before starting an approved course of study"

would he be able to reapply to carry on his BTEA onto the Third level scheme?,and if so what would he have to do to reapply?

Lugh Ildanach

He'll come off the Back to Education Allowance once his course finishes up and go back on to the payment that he qualified from (provided that he still meets the criteria).

If he gets accepted onto a third level course, there is nothing to stop him applying for third level BTEA in the same way as before, by submitting application in the normal way.

Repeat applications for BTEA will raise the issue of whether the individual is genuinely looking for work, so in the period when your brother goes back on to Jobseekers he should obtain evidence for his jobseeking efforts in case he is called in for an interview before making the transition to third level.