Mature Student confused abiut Student Grant, BTEA etc

Darith

I have a Engineering Degree from the Nineties. I want to do Postgrad in It/Programming. Came back from England in 04/08 after three and half years there. Been on the dole since 02/10. Did the fas internship/jobbridge scheme for most of 2011. Currently researching doing a postgrad. It seems i would be entitled to BTEA? Plus a allowance of 300-500 euros? I presume the fees would be paid by the Government? Would i still need to fill out some form to pay for fees?

However it seems that BTEA does not apply to all Postgrad courses, only h.dip ; not masters. What financial options do i have for masters courses?
Do i have to apply for a student grant, how is this generally means tested?

Why does springboard and bluebrick advertise free fees for unemployed when i thought that fees are already paid for postgrad in general or at least for the unemployed?

I apologize for my ignorance in this.

Annasopra

Basically your choices are limited.

You don't get BTEA for masters

You don't get a maintenance grant anymore for a postgrad

Fees are not paid but There are fee grants - 2 rates 2000 and another rate (this rate is either 6000 or full fees)

B1977

mango salsa wrote: »

Basically your choices are limited.

You don't get BTEA for masters

You don't get a maintenance grant anymore for a postgrad

Fees are not paid but There are fee grants - 2 rates 2000 and another rate (this rate is either 6000 or full fees)

Are you entitled to BTEA for a H Dip if continuing from a level 8 ?

Annasopra

B1977 wrote: »

Are you entitled to BTEA for a H Dip if continuing from a level 8 ?

If you mean that you are currently studying a level 8 then no - you have to be receiving job seekers benefit or job seekers allowance for 9 months or more

B1977

mango salsa wrote: »

If you mean that you are currently studying a level 8 then no - you have to be receiving job seekers benefit or job seekers allowance for 9 months or more

I am currently studying for a level 8, I am in receipt of BTEA and my fees are paid.does this continue on for a H Dip

Annasopra

B1977 wrote: »

I am currently studying for a level 8, I am in receipt of BTEA and my fees are paid.does this continue on for a H Dip

The postgraduate option of the BTEA scheme is
only for people who wish to take:

a postgraduate course of study that leads to any
Higher Diploma (H. Dip.) qualification in any
discipline, or

a postgraduate Diploma in Education (Primary
or Secondary teaching).

Other postgraduate qualifications including a
Master's degree are not recognised for BTEA
purposes.


www.welfare.ie/en/publications/sw70/pages/abacktoeducationallowancebtea.aspx

cee_jay

Darith wrote: »

I have a Engineering Degree from the Nineties. I want to do Postgrad in It/Programming. Came back from England in 04/08 after three and half years there. Been on the dole since 02/10. Did the fas internship/jobbridge scheme for most of 2011. Currently researching doing a postgrad. It seems i would be entitled to BTEA? Plus a allowance of 300-500 euros? I presume the fees would be paid by the Government? Would i still need to fill out some form to pay for fees?

However it seems that BTEA does not apply to all Postgrad courses, only h.dip ; not masters. What financial options do i have for masters courses?
Do i have to apply for a student grant, how is this generally means tested?

Why does springboard and bluebrick advertise free fees for unemployed when i thought that fees are already paid for postgrad in general or at least for the unemployed?

I apologize for my ignorance in this.

Springboard are mainly part time courses that wouldn't qualify for BTEA. They are courses run for unemployed people, free to that person. There are some courses available that cost around €5000 normally (for example the Six Sigma course in UL).

Fatboydim

I've been thinking of returning to education... as I've been on Jobseekers Allowance for the last three years.

I never went to university and have applied for a 4 year BA course at NUIG, and GMIT ... Then I was told by the course admin at GMIT [who knows me] because of my work experience that I could go straight for an MA. [My field is screenwriting] This would of course then allow me to apply for jobs as a lecturer [Screenwriting] in future. The MA is one year.

Now from what I can tell - it now appears that I can't get BTEA for a Masters as outlined above... But I can get four years worth of fees for a course I don't need??

Is there any known exceptions to the above rule?

cee_jay

Fatboydim wrote: »

I've been thinking of returning to education... as I've been on Jobseekers Allowance for the last three years.

I never went to university and have applied for a 4 year BA course at NUIG, and GMIT ... Then I was told by the course admin at GMIT [who knows me] because of my work experience that I could go straight for an MA. [My field is screenwriting] This would of course then allow me to apply for jobs as a lecturer [Screenwriting] in future. The MA is one year.

Now from what I can tell - it now appears that I can't get BTEA for a Masters as outlined above... But I can get four years worth of fees for a course I don't need??

Is there any known exceptions to the above rule?

You could qualify for the MA - from the BTEA guidelines:

there is an exception to the eligibility rule for Masters based on ‘life experience’ whereby a person is admitted to a Masters programme without a primary degree. The person needs confirmation from the college detailing the basis of their offer of a college place and confirming that it excludes the requirement to hold a primary degree. A small number of cases have arisen where a college has granted an exemption from the requirement to hold a primary degree and has admitted a person to a Master’s course on the basis of relevant life experience. In the context of the ongoing review of the operation of the scheme, it was decided to extend entitlement to back to education allowance in these instances on an exceptional basis.

Fatboydim

Thank You Cee Jay

That at least gives me a glimmer of hope.:)

Fatboydim

Hi Cee-Jay

Do you have a link to the paragraph you posted. I printed off the Back To Education Programme - But cannot find the above paragraph.

Fatboydim

No worries I have found it

Poor_old_gill

I have been on job seekers for 9 months and am going back to do a PhD next year-will I be entitled to any Government assistance.

If I was means tested then I would qualify

Annasopra

Poor_old_gill wrote: »

I have been on job seekers for 9 months and am going back to do a PhD next year-will I be entitled to any Government assistance.

If I was means tested then I would qualify

you might be able to get a grant toward your fees. You definitely won't get a maintenance grant or BTEA

Poor_old_gill

mango salsa wrote: »

you might be able to get a grant toward your fees. You definitely won't get a maintenance grant or BTEA

Ah ok- well my fees are funded already so I guess I'm not entitled to anything?

alanajane

May I jump in here and ask similiar question for myself. I have been a stay-at-home mum for years and would love to return to education, well everyone else is learning something so why not me! I have not been on any benefits of any kind and havent worked outside the home for years, is it worth my while applying for a grant of some sort? My husband is on back-to-work allowance, would that be cut or even stopped if I got a grant...am I doomed to stay at home? I could manage the minimal fees for the course I have my eye on but the transport costs would make it impossible. Thanks.

Annasopra

alanajane wrote: »

May I jump in here and ask similiar question for myself. I have been a stay-at-home mum for years and would love to return to education, well everyone else is learning something so why not me! I have not been on any benefits of any kind and havent worked outside the home for years, is it worth my while applying for a grant of some sort? My husband is on back-to-work allowance, would that be cut or even stopped if I got a grant...am I doomed to stay at home? I could manage the minimal fees for the course I have my eye on but the transport costs would make it impossible. Thanks.

I think you could apply for a grant. It would be means tested on income from yourself and your husband.

runswithascript

What about mature (23+) unemployed people who have applied for degree courses, do they need to apply for anything funding-wise right now?

Am I correct that for the last few years one can only receive BTEA or a near equivalent grant, not both, and that the best move would be for BTEA because it is more?

Also, is there any point sending in the BTEA form before offers from universities have been received?

Are there any other grants people in this situation should apply for, perhaps for help paying fees or free fees etc? I do not want to miss the boat on any of this stuff.

Tree

If you're entitled to BTEA for an undergrad course, you can apply for your registration fees to be paid under the traditional higher education grant (this comprises normally of maintenance grants and fees, but only fees will be paid out to BTEA applicants).

The forms for the maintenance/fees grant dont come out till the summer, but you can start collecting p60s/p21s etc in the mean time. Not sure about BTEA forms, possibly ask in your SW offics

Annasopra

dusf wrote: »

What about mature (23+) unemployed people who have applied for degree courses, do they need to apply for anything funding-wise right now?

Am I correct that for the last few years one can only receive BTEA or a near equivalent grant, not both, and that the best move would be for BTEA because it is more?

Also, is there any point sending in the BTEA form before offers from universities have been received?

Are there any other grants people in this situation should apply for, perhaps for help paying fees or free fees etc? I do not want to miss the boat on any of this stuff.

You can get BTEA plus a fee grant to pay the student contribution fee

Fatboydim

Just got my offer today for the MA course in Production and Direction at Huston Film School NUIG.

What's the next step in applying for the grant [Fees] it seems as if SUSI won't be up and running until May. Do I have to wait until then?

Also as I'm on Jobseekers I should get BTEA. Do I tell them now or wait until closer to the time?

Any advice appreciated.

runswithascript

Tree wrote: »

If you're entitled to BTEA for an undergrad course, you can apply for your registration fees to be paid under the traditional higher education grant (this comprises normally of maintenance grants and fees, but only fees will be paid out to BTEA applicants).

The forms for the maintenance/fees grant dont come out till the summer, but you can start collecting p60s/p21s etc in the mean time. Not sure about BTEA forms, possibly ask in your SW offics

Is there anything else I should be applying for? I just want to make sure I am not missing closing dates for anything I should be.

Also, does the traditional higher education grant go under a different name on http://www.studentfinance.ie/, perhaps you are referring to the student grant?

runswithascript

Tree wrote: »

If you're entitled to BTEA for an undergrad course, you can apply for your registration fees to be paid under the traditional higher education grant (this comprises normally of maintenance grants and fees, but only fees will be paid out to BTEA applicants).

The forms for the maintenance/fees grant dont come out till the summer, but you can start collecting p60s/p21s etc in the mean time. Not sure about BTEA forms, possibly ask in your SW offics

Is there anything else I should be applying for? I just want to make sure I am not missing closing dates for anything I should be.

Also, does the traditional higher education grant go under a different name on http://www.studentfinance.ie/, or perhaps you are referring to the student grant?

runswithascript

Anyone?

Annasopra

higher education grant and student grant are the same thing