why do I feel like I'm getting screwed?

hattoncracker

Hey all..
Went back to college in UL this year.. I'm also one of these people who have never been on the dole in my life, begged and pleaded to get a part time contract in my current job, and am working to put myself through college.

I started back in September, have met a lot of matures in my course, and they're ALL on BTEA. Now I can understand why they are obviously getting this money which is their dole, book and travel allowance, etc, but all I get is €130 a month for my grant.. And I can only get what they're getting if I quit my job and stay on the dole for 9 months..

I don't begrudge anyone what they're entitled to, but I know they will always get better grades than I will, and they're never broke because they all either live at home or get rent allowance, they get to attend all the extra study groups that I cant go to because I have to work evenings, mornings and weekends just to make the rent and pay for transport and books that I don't get an allowance for. I even had to work the whole way thru my exams!! I passed everything which was a jaysiz miracle but it kills me because I know I could have done way better! :-( I moved to a different part of the country to do this course and I cant even socialise because I don't have any free time!!


This might sound frivolous and kind of a silly problem for some, but why in the hell is this system designed to make people who don't want to scam the government lives so much harder??

FlashD

Are you saying that those on entitlements are scamming the government?

I commend those who have been on the dole so long and have decided to return to education as a mature student, not an easy decision and it shows a lot of get up and go.

After reading through your post I don't think entitlements is your problem at all, it's your studies and exam results.

Here's the deal, we all make decisions in life, you have decided to work and study together, someone else (entitlements or not) has decided to commit themselves 100% to their studies. I don't think you can blame someone who is 100% commited for getting better results than you. Whether someone is getting entitlements or not is irrelevent, if there were no entitlements yet some still decided to commit 100%, I bet you would still be on here complaining about something else that you don't have.

It seems to me that over the months you have now set your studies and results as your main priority, work is just something getting in the way. I have been in this situation, PT work and FT study do not mix and it does have a negative effect on your results. It just shows a lack of forward thinking and planning on your part but it is not too late. If you want better results and to get the most out of your studies then you need to reconsider your work situation, nobody is chained to a work contract, it is all you own decision. At the moment nobody is making things difficult only yourself, do what is best for you not someone you work for.

Best of luck with your studies

hairyprincess

You need to forget about what others are getting and concentrate on yourself. Stressing about those is not going to do you or your studies any favours, you will just have resentment bubbling up inside you. It is a very unhealthy practice.

At the end of your course you can pat yourself on the back with great pride knowing you got through it while holding down a job.

Well done on the exams btw

paperclip2

OP have you checked into the Student Assistance Fund in UL. It might be able to provide some help.

ratedR

Unfortunately for some of us, all the begging and pleading in the world couldnt get us a job after we got let go from our jobs, and going on the dole was the only option.

I'd hardly call going on the BTEA "scamming the government". You've definitely insulted me.

Fair play for holding down a job and doing your course, I'm not sure how people get the time to do it and have serious respect for them. But there's no need for the attitude. At least us people on BTEA are out there getting an education with a view to going back to work and paying our taxes, and not sitting on our holes at home.

Best of luck with your course.

poozers

i agree with you RatedR... i lost my (part time) job about 6 months ago...i begged and pleaded with work about 2 years ago for full time, but they could never give it to me, except a week or two here and there covering holidays! i decided to go back to college because i AM entitled to it, i want to better my job opportunities for my future. from being on the dole the last 6 months, ive been living off about 40 - 50euro a week after bills, i volunteer and collect my niece from school for my pregnant sister who has two year old twins at home!! you may feel like your getting screwed, and i dont doubt that your situation must be extremely difficult, but you have to realise that other people have difficult situations too!! concentrate on your own education, and you will excel!
and if you think its scamming the government...dont you think the government has scammed us enough anyway???? !!!!

hattoncracker

poozers wrote: »

i agree with you RatedR... i lost my (part time) job about 6 months ago...i begged and pleaded with work about 2 years ago for full time, but they could never give it to me, except a week or two here and there covering holidays! i decided to go back to college because i AM entitled to it, i want to better my job opportunities for my future. from being on the dole the last 6 months, ive been living off about 40 - 50euro a week after bills, i volunteer and collect my niece from school for my pregnant sister who has two year old twins at home!! you may feel like your getting screwed, and i dont doubt that your situation must be extremely difficult, but you have to realise that other people have difficult situations too!! concentrate on your own education, and you will excel!
and if you think its scamming the government...dont you think the government has scammed us enough anyway???? !!!!

I don't think anyone on BTEA is scamming the government. I mentioned above that I have no problem with people getting what they're entitled to.. Everyone on my course works very hard, they deserve their benefits, I think maybe I worded this incorrectly but the logic of not being able to get BTEA unless you've been unemployed for a certain period of time I think is seriously flawed.

Should it not be based for people who have been out of education for a certain amount of time, as opposed to unemployed for a certain amount of time? (as in, I've been out of education for x amount of years, If I.quit my job the week before college I can apply for it, same as if I had been unemployed!)If I was able to quit my job and go straight onto it, then I definitely would.. But I cant survive nine months on the dole.. Moreover, a lot of people are being told not to jobseek when they're waiting to go back to college!!! (Thats the scamming the system I was referring to!)
BTEA is fantastic, it allows people with limited resources to do thinks they otherwise would be unable to, but should it not count if you've been working your whole life and now you want to go back and get a degree so you can earn more money, and thus pay more taxes?? And freeing up a job for someone else?

hattoncracker

ratedR wrote: »

Unfortunately for some of us, all the begging and pleading in the world couldnt get us a job after we got let go from our jobs, and going on the dole was the only option.

I'd hardly call going on the BTEA "scamming the government". You've definitely insulted me.

Fair play for holding down a job and doing your course, I'm not sure how people get the time to do it and have serious respect for them. But there's no need for the attitude. At least us people on BTEA are out there getting an education with a view to going back to work and paying our taxes, and not sitting on our holes at home.

Best of luck with your course.

RatedR, I didn't say that people on BTEA are scamming the system, absolutely far from it, I just know that if I wanted to scam the system, I could, by loosing my job and then not applying for any jobs until I was due to go back to college. That is such a flawed logic, in my opinion.

FlashD

If you lost your job and didn't apply for any jobs before going back to Uni, how is that a scam? And can you tell me what kind of fine or prison sentence goes with that?

The system is far from perfect, it is not going to suit everyone's situation but it is still there to help those who want to return to education, you just have to be smart and plan long term how you can fit into it and use it best to support you.

There will always be those who judge people unfavourably for their actions (a great number of them are on Boards spouting rubbish everyday). Since the recession started, it has been like some witchhunt, these people thrive on negativity and take great pleasure in dragging anyone getting along in life down to their level. Best thing is to take the good advise and filter out the nonsense.

It is your life and you have to do the things that make your life easier and more managable. These naysayers will never thank you for your patriotic actions. Do what is best for you, with time everything else will work itself out.

bhamsteve

OP, I admire your attitude and wish you all the best for the remainder of your studies.
If you find that working and studying become more and more unrealistic I would be inclined to give up the job and beg, borrow and steal :-) every euro that you can in order to complete the course. There are many agencies that you can approach if you are in finacial difficulty.
Do not let pride get in the way of finishing the course, and improving your prospects considerably.
I tried to work my way through Uni years ago and had to drop out after the first year due to the workload, if I ever make it back to Uni I'd have no problem with making sure I'm eligible for BTEA.
Bertie, Cowan, the bankers, now they scammed and screwed the country
not someone trying to better their families future, and in the process move themselves out of minimum wage jobs into fairly paid, stable employment.