Back to Education Allowance

Study options

Two study options are available under the scheme:

• Second-level option
• Third-level option

Second-level option

You can attend a second-level course of education at any secondary, community, comprehensive or vocational school. The course must be full-time and lead to a certificate recognised by the Department of Education and Skills or approved by the Further Education and Training Awards Council, for example, Junior Certificate, Leaving Certificate, Post Leaving Certificate or a City and Guilds Certificate.

Third-level option

You can attend a third-level course of education at any university, third-level college or institution, provided that the course is a full-time day course of study and is approved by the Department of Education and Skills for student grant purposes and/or is recognised by the Higher Education and Training Awards Council (HETAC).

Undergraduate courses

In general you must be starting your third-level course at year one. However, you can apply for BTEA if you:

• Did not complete your course and are returning to the second or subsequent year of your course.
• Are exempt from part of your course because of a qualification you received in a previous course. For example, you have a higher certificate in a course that you now wish to pursue to degree level.
• Completed some of your course as a part-time student, but are now getting a jobseeker's payment and will continue your course on a full-time basis.

Postgraduate courses

You can get the Back to Education Allowance for a postgraduate course of study that leads to a Higher Diploma (H.Dip.) qualification in any discipline or a Graduate Diploma in Education (primary and secondary teaching). Other types of postgraduate qualifications are not recognised for BTEA.

You will not get BTEA if you already have a postgraduate qualification.

Qualifying for BTEA

You can qualify for the BTEA in different ways depending on your age and circumstances. You must always have been accepted onto a qualifying course. In general you must be over 21 or over 24 for post graduate courses (see also 'Age limits' below) and have been getting a qualifying social welfare payment.

Qualifying social welfare payments

• Jobseeker's Allowance or Jobseeker's Benefit
• Farm Assist
• One-Parent Family Payment
• Deserted Wife's Benefit or Allowance
• Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Contributory) Pension
• Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Non-Contributory) Pension
• Prisoners Wife's Allowance
• Carer's Allowance
• Blind Pension
• Disability Allowance
• Invalidity Pension
• Incapacity Supplement (based on a life Disablement Pension)

If you have been getting Illness Benefit for 2 years or more you can also qualify for the Allowance.

Qualifying period

For second level courses you must have been getting a qualifying social welfare payment (see above) for at least 3 months (78 days of unemployment*) immediately before you start the course.

For third level courses you must have been getting a qualifying social welfare payment (see above) for 9 months (234 days of unemployment*) immediately before you start the course.

*If you are getting a jobseeker's payment, each day you are unemployed, except Sunday, is counted as a day of unemployment.

Time spent on the Back to Education Allowance (BTEA), Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS), full-time FÁS/Failte Ireland training courses, FIT, Community Employment schemes, Part-time Job Incentive scheme, Community Services Programme, Rural Social Scheme, TÚS, the National Internship Scheme, Workplace Placement Scheme (WPP), Back to Work Enterprise Allowance, Short Term Enterprise Allowance, FÁS Job Initiative, Revenue Job Assist may count towards the qualifying period.

You may go directly from one of the above schemes to Back to Education Allowance provided you were getting one of the qualifying social welfare payments listed above immediately before or after you started the scheme. If there is a break of more than 4 weeks between leaving the Scheme and starting an approved course of study you must establish an entitlement to a qualifying social welfare payment to qualify for BTEA.

Time spent on Youthreach can count towards the qualifying period provided you establish an entitlement to a qualifying social welfare payment before or after completing the Youthreach programme.

Time spent in prison can count towards the qualifying period provided you establish an entitlement to a qualifying social welfare payment.

Time spent on Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) or on direct provision can count towards the qualifying period for BTEA. This applied only if you establish an entitlement to a qualifying social welfare payment immediately before you start your approved course of study.

If you have been awarded statutory redundancy and are entitled to a qualifying social welfare payment immediately before you start the course (note that it is not necessary to actually be receiving the payment) you can get immediate access to the BTEA without any waiting period. You must take part in the BTEA scheme within one year of getting statutory redundancy.

Age limits

To qualify for the Back to Education Allowance, you must be at least 21 years of age. You must be 24 for a third-level postgraduate course.

However, if you are getting Jobseeker's Allowance, Jobseeker's Benefit or One-Parent Family Payment for the required period (3 or 9 months), are aged between 18 and 20 and have been out of the formal education system for at least 2 years you may qualify.

If you are aged 18 or over (over 24 for the post graduate option) and getting Blind Pension, Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension or Incapacity Supplement for the required period (3 or 9 months) you may qualify. The Allowance has also been extended to people with disabilities who have left Community Employment schemes and who, when beginning the scheme, were not getting a qualifying social welfare payment. In this case, you must begin the course within 4 weeks of finishing the scheme.

Unemployment or illness credits

If you are signing on for unemployment credits or submitting medical certificates for illness credits, for the required period of time (either 3 or 9 months depending on your course), you may qualify to participate in the BTEA scheme on a non-payment basis. This means that you do not get a weekly Back to Education Allowance, but you can get the Cost of Education Allowance. This is a once off payment at the beginning of each academic year. You continue to be awarded credited contributions while you are taking part in the BTEA scheme.

If you are participating in the BTEA scheme on a non-payment basis, you can also apply for a student grant to be assessed for the fee and maintenance component of the grant.

Other people who can qualify for BTEA

If you are the qualified adult of a person who can claim BTEA, you can qualify for BTEA in your own right. Your spouse, civil partner or cohabitant must have an entitlement to BTEA and must also be getting an Increase for a Qualified Adult in his/her social welfare payment for you for the required period - see 'Qualifying for BTEA' above.

If you qualify for BTEA because you are an adult dependant, your allowance is equivalent to the maximum standard personal rate of the social welfare payment your spouse, civil partner or cohabitant is getting. You also qualify for the annual Cost of Education Allowance. Your spouse or partner keeps his or her entitlement to his or her personal rate of payment.

Monitoring arrangements

You must provide a certificate from the school/college confirming your registration, commencement and attendance at the course. You must supply this information before payment can begin. During the course of the academic year, you may be asked to provide confirmation that you are still taking part in the course.

If you change from a jobseeker's payment to BTEA, you do not need to sign on at your Social Welfare Local Office while you are getting BTEA.