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Don't qualify for BTEA but going back to college in Jan. Options?

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  • 03-11-2014 8:31pm
    #1
    pinksoir
    Registered Users Posts: 1,735 ✭✭✭


    Unfortunately I don't qualify for BTEA because I'm going back to college in January and not starting at the beginning of the academic year. I am doing the whole year, but I'll be doing the second semester this January - May and the first semester next September - December. So the semesters aren't consecutive, in which case (I presume) they are considered single semesters which aren't covered under BTEA.

    The course will be technically full time (as in a standard degree) but I'm unsure of my hours. If I recall right, when I dropped out I only had about 10 hours a week between lectures and tutorials. Are there any guidelines for what qualifies as part time study? I know in the UK it's 16 hours per week or something. Or is it just what the course is designated as by the university? I know that when I repeated first year (single subject) it was considered part time by the university.

    What are my options? If I can't find a job between now and then I'm kinda screwed!


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    #2
    pinksoir
    Registered Users Posts: 1,735 ✭✭✭pinksoir


    Regarding the PTEO, if I have a full time course Monday - Thursday, is it possible to sign on for the Friday and Saturday until I find work for those days, or what's the story? I can't really tell from the SW site.


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    #3
    DanDublin1982
    Registered Users Posts: 641 ✭✭✭DanDublin1982


    pinksoir wrote: »
    Regarding the PTEO, if I have a full time course Monday - Thursday, is it possible to sign on for the Friday and Saturday until I find work for those days, or what's the story? I can't really tell from the SW site.

    In short no.

    Full time students have the maintenance grant and that's about it. Maybe there's something around a mature student grant too but I can't asvise much there.


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    #4
    pinksoir
    Registered Users Posts: 1,735 ✭✭✭pinksoir


    That's pretty bleak. Hopefully I can get a job before Xmas and try to save as much as possible for next year. I've applied for the SUSI, but I don't hold out much hope considering it's only one semester. I've gotta eat though, unfortunately.


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    #5
    MouseTail
    Registered Users Posts: 1,663 ✭✭✭MouseTail


    pinksoir wrote: »
    That's pretty bleak. Hopefully I can get a job before Xmas and try to save as much as possible for next year. I've applied for the SUSI, but I don't hold out much hope considering it's only one semester. I've gotta eat though, unfortunately.

    Have you been refused BTEA?


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    #6
    pinksoir
    Registered Users Posts: 1,735 ✭✭✭pinksoir


    I haven't, but I rang up the Carrick-on-Shannon office and spoke with someone there and they told me that I wouldn't qualify because it's stipulated in the terms that BTEA doesn't cover single semesters or modules. I suppose I will apply for it anyway, but I don't expect to get it. As I said, I'm doing the full year, but the semesters are not consecutive, which obviously creates a problem for them. The way I'm doing it now I'll be applying to UCD for readmission in January, and then again for September rather than applying once for the full academic year.

    Obviously I could wait until next academic year and do it that way, but I don't want to go that route for a whole bunch of reasons.


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