Back to education Allowance

lolo62

Hi I've looked through all the info and it seems I am eligible for this.
I have been on job seekers allowance for 2 years while working part time as a casual worker teaching music and signing the x and o dockets.

I am currently attending seetec, which is soul destroying as they know nothing about the work that I do, but am trying to make the most of it.

I'm currently doing an ECDL course which finishes soon but I will be attending seetec until June.

At this stage I would like to do a level 4 course in horticulture starting in September and will be attending interviews soon.

Can I claim BTEA and work part time as a music teacher? I am means tested and receive a partial payment currently on JA. Would I also be means tested on BTEA?

Thanks in advance

zell12

Yes.
Yes.

lolo62

zell12 wrote: »

Yes.
Yes.

Thanks. So if I go on BTEA my payment essentially would be the same?

ttsnar

If you have a degree, you may not be entitled to claim BTEA.

piplip87

lolo62 wrote: »

Thanks. So if I go on BTEA my payment essentially would be the same?

Yes it will be means tested but if you are paying any tax at all on what your making you should get a tax credit for been a student.

lolo62

ttsnar wrote: »

If you have a degree, you may not be entitled to claim BTEA.

I just read that now I'm hoping that I can appeal based on the fact that teaching music is not a sector that is "growing economically"

zell12

lolo62 wrote: »

I just read that now I'm hoping that I can appeal based on the fact that teaching music is not a sector that is "growing economically"

If you have a degree already, you'll be most likely rejected.
You're best off looking for the next level up, like a H Dip conversion course.

lolo62

zell12 wrote: »

If you have a degree already, you'll be most likely rejected.
You're best off looking for the next level up, like a H Dip conversion course.

Ok will give it a go and chance my arm but what is a Huge Dip conversion course? I've never heard of that

I swear seetec is a joke I've asked there many times and they know nothing.

zell12

Higher Diploma

lolo62

zell12 wrote: »

Higher Diploma

I know what a HDip is I'm confused about the conversion bit. Is this something I can do on BTEA?

Messyhead

I managed to get Back to Education Allowance in pretty much the exact circumstances as you (I was even a music teacher). There seems to be some flexibility on a case to case basis, although I don't know if that has changed in the few years since I was awarded it. I had a degree already but it was from a really long time ago - I have a feeling there is a cut off point when if it's a certain number of years since you got whatever qualification it won't affect your eligibility. However, you won't get your fees paid by SUSI and will have to come up with that money yourself (if the qualification you're doing isn't higher than the one you already have)...unless that has changed too!

zell12

lolo62 wrote: »

I know what a HDip is I'm confused about the conversion bit. Is this something I can do on BTEA?

It means if you have a music degree, you can do a higher level economics hdip, aka a conversion hdip, to access an economics masters for example

All HDips are covered by BTEA

lolo62

Messyhead wrote: »

I managed to get Back to Education Allowance in pretty much the exact circumstances as you (I was even a music teacher). There seems to be some flexibility on a case to case basis, although I don't know if that has changed in the few years since I was awarded it. I had a degree already but it was from a really long time ago - I have a feeling there is a cut off point when if it's a certain number of years since you got whatever qualification it won't affect your eligibility. However, you won't get your fees paid by SUSI and will have to come up with that money yourself (if the qualification you're doing isn't higher than the one you already have)...unless that has changed too!

That's reassuring to hear! Music teaching is such a dead end job . What did you study with BTEA?

lolo62

zell12 wrote: »

It means if you have a music degree, you can do a higher level economics hdip, aka a conversion hdip, to access an economics masters for example

All HDips are covered by BTEA

Thank you I get it now . Did not know HDips were covered, that's great to know

splinter65

lolo62 wrote: »

Thank you I get it now . Did not know HDips were covered, that's great to know

If you go to your SW office to enquire be sure and say that you want to speak to somebody about BTEA as not all the staff are up to date and there’s usually only one or two who deal with applications. Those are the only people who you want to talk to. Lots of misinformation about BTEA even within the dept.

Messyhead

zell12 wrote: »

It means if you have a music degree, you can do a higher level economics hdip, aka a conversion hdip, to access an economics masters for example

All HDips are covered by BTEA

Also SUSI would pay your fees for this.

lolo62

Thanks for all the info guys. Will make an appointment to see someone in the SW office about BTEA.

To be honest I don't think I would be able for a level 9 course. It's been 12 years since I finished college. The dream would be to do level 6 or 7 at most with a view to changing career completely, or at least having another string to my bow so I don't keep having to claim benefits when hours are low.

But I always seem to fall between categories which is frustrating. Have just seen a couple of other scheme's there "education, training and development" and "part time education option" so maybe I'll qualify for something beneficial.
If I don't get the numbers in September, that's another year of being in limbo so I have to plan ahead and course applications go in now.

dartboardio

My boyfriend is on BTEA doing a fetac course at the moment

If he goes to an IT next year does a level 7 course im pretty sure he can keep his BTEA but what about his fees?

How do they get paid? The registration fees for 2k etc?

Messyhead

dartboardio wrote: »

My boyfriend is on BTEA doing a fetac course at the moment

If he goes to an IT next year does a level 7 course im pretty sure he can keep his BTEA but what about his fees?

How do they get paid? The registration fees for 2k etc?

As long as he's progressing educationally (ie doing a level higher than he's done before) he should be able to get the fees covered by SUSI, as long as his income is below a certain level and it's a recognised course. Probably best to look at the SUSI website or speak to someone from there as I'm not sure of the details.

lolo62

Messyhead what did you study on BTEA?

Messyhead

lolo62 wrote: »

Messyhead what did you study on BTEA?

I sent you a pm as I don't want to put too much identifying info on the public forum!

lolo62

Hi thought I'd drop in and update.

So I don't qualify for BTEA. No exceptions, no allowances. The rule for BTEA is: if you did a level 9 previously, then you can't do a level 4 on BTEA.

So I spoke to Pearse college and it is possible to go on VTOS. I'll be able to do the course under that scheme which is great.

olestoepoke

Hi, I might have failed a module in college. This will require me to repeat it next summer before I am allowed to progress. I have been eligible for BTEA for the first 2 years of college. What happens now? Currently on jobseekers for the summer, what happens if I did indeed fail and have to repeat a module? Will I stay on jobseekers or will I go back onto BTEA? Thanks in advance

Portsalon

olestoepoke wrote: »

Hi, I might have failed a module in college. This will require me to repeat it next summer before I am allowed to progress. I have been eligible for BTEA for the first 2 years of college. What happens now? Currently on jobseekers for the summer, what happens if I did indeed fail and have to repeat a module? Will I stay on jobseekers or will I go back onto BTEA? Thanks in advance

"Can I get the BTEA to repeat a year of my course?

BTEA should not be approved for repeat students registered as external students and/or examination only students. Neither should approval be given for repeat students to undertake a repeat year of study on a part-time basis. Should mitigating circumstances apply, such as long term illness or injury requiring prolonged absence from attendance at lectures, the serious illness of an immediate family member requiring the participant undertaking a caring responsibility, discontinuance of the course by the educational institution, force majeure, BTEA participants should be approved for payment to undertake a repeat year of study. Payment should only be approved where the participant is registered and attends as a full-time student for the repeat year. In such circumstances only one academic year may be repeated.

A BTEA participant who fails and repeats an exam, which results in a break of their previously awarded BTEA payment and who satisfies all other eligible criteria for BTEA may be approved for BTEA in order to progress to the next year of their course of study. If the break in payment is for a period longer than the academic year, they should be treated as new entrants to the scheme for payment purposes.

From: https://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/BTEA-Frequently-Asked-Questions.aspx#q9

olestoepoke

Thanks for that, so I guess Ill stay on jobseekers and then when I'm progressing full-time back onto BTEA. Thanks again