Going back to College

James_LWAU

I started college in September 2010 I was doing a level 7 course in Dkit and I was getting the maintenance grant. I left college in April 2011. Thing is I want to go back to college but I can't afford the registration fees and i'm currently unemployed so I wouldn't be able to survive. I'm 19 btw and currently on Job Seekers Benefit and i'm living at home with my parents. The closing date for CAO is fast approaching and i'm just wondering is it worth my while applying? Am I eligible for any sort of payment? Could I go to college and keep my job seekers? I don't think I am eligible for BTEA but is there anything I can get?

AntiRip

James_LWAU wrote: »

I started college in September 2010 I was doing a level 7 course in Dkit and I was getting the maintenance grant. I left college in April 2011. Thing is I want to go back to college but I can't afford the registration fees and i'm currently unemployed so I wouldn't be able to survive. I'm 19 btw and currently on Job Seekers Benefit and i'm living at home with my parents. The closing date for CAO is fast approaching and i'm just wondering is it worth my while applying? Am I eligible for any sort of payment? Could I go to college and keep my job seekers? I don't think I am eligible for BTEA but is there anything I can get?

Honestly I think the best advice I could give you is go into your LWO and talk to the welfare officer. Even if you get good advice here you still need to back it up by going anyway. That's what I would do anyway if the deadline is coming up fast.

If you were to qualify for BTEA you need to be on JB/JA for a minimum of 9 months the last time I checked but please you should visit your welfare officer

James_LWAU

Yeah i'll head down to my local dole office tomorrow and try and see someone because I really want to head back to college

hdowney

small point, the closing for CAO was the first of april. do you mean the late applicant closing for CAO?

James_LWAU

hdowney wrote: »

small point, the closing for CAO was the first of april. do you mean the late applicant closing for CAO?

Yeah i'll have to pay the late application which is 60 euro I believe. Just want to see what i'm entitled to before I pay to apply

hdowney

James_LWAU wrote: »

Yeah i'll have to pay the late application which is 60 euro I believe. Just want to see what i'm entitled to before I pay to apply

ok. i just want to warn you so, i am not 100 percent how it works with late apps, but i think you will get considered for any course you apply for AFTER all the people who applied before the feb first deadline, so depending on which area of study you are looking at that could mean different things.

good luck though

IMightKnow

Will you not have to pay full fees for a year as you are changing course?

James_LWAU

IMightKnow wrote: »

Will you not have to pay full fees for a year as you are changing course?

Yeah i'll have to pay full fees for my first year but unfortunatly I won't be able to afford them so hopefully i'll be eligible for something for my first year as the maintenance grant will resume from second year onwards.

James_LWAU

Has anyone on here ever gotten any sort of grant/payment with a situation similar to my own ?

AntiRip

TBH with you I know a couple guys in my year that were stung for tuitution fees from the college also (in the region of e1800) because they had already done first year in another course. You are only allowed free fees once. There may be exceptions though. I got my fees paid because of something called the second chance rule but it must be over 5 years since you've been in college last.

James_LWAU

AntiRip wrote: »

TBH with you I know a couple guys in my year that were stung for tuitution fees from the college also (in the region of e1800) because they had already done first year in another course. You are only allowed free fees once. There may be exceptions though. I got my fees paid because of something called the second chance rule but it must be over 5 years since you've been in college last.

Ah doubt i'll get any sort of assistance then unless somehow I can get BTEA but don't think I can :mad:

AntiRip

James_LWAU wrote: »

Ah doubt i'll get any sort of assistance then unless somehow I can get BTEA but don't think I can :mad:

You should also try you local VEC office and get some info also

kellybutler

knowledge is power! go back to college!

AntiRip

kellybutler wrote: »

knowledge is power! go back to college!

That's all well and good but people can't live off fresh air either.