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Grants & Funding

Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS )

Aims:

  • To give unemployed people education and training opportunities
  • To prepare people to go to paid employment or to further opportunities leading to paid employment.

Applying for VTOS:

  • Attend open day for course information.
  • Fill in course application form and attend interview.
  • Pay course deposit when offer of course place is received.
  • Enrol with Course Co-ordinator on designated day during the first week in September.
  • Register with VTOS Co-ordinator after enrolling with Course Co-ordinator.

Applicants:

  • Age 21 or over
  • At least 156 days on benefit

Eligible categories include:

  • Job Seeking Allowance
  • Blind Person Allowance
  • Job Seeking Benefit
  • Deserted Wife’s Allowance
  • One Parent Family Payment
  • Deserted Wife’s Benefit
  • Disability Allowance
  • Widow/er’s non-contributory
  • Disability Benefit
  • Widow/er’s contributory pension
  • Invalidity Pension
  • Prisoner’s wife’s allowance
  • Dependant Spouses
  • Signing for Credits

Registration:

  • Takes place on enrolment day in early September
  • Completed Forms include SW, CDVEC Set-up, Registration, Travel, Childcare
  • A bank A/C is required

Benefits:

  • Retain full SW Benefits and all Secondary Benefits
  • Meal and Travel Allowances
  • Training bonus* - €31.80 per week (312 Days+) *not all categories are eligible for bonus
  • No course fees
  • Book loan scheme & basic course materials
  • Childcare crèche allowances (Limited)
  • Grant paid over summer holiday (Subject to conditions)
  • CAO fees paid
  • Part time work permitted (20 hours limit)
  • Dispersed VTOS eligible to apply for plc Maintenance Grant

Payments:

  • Commences in mid October
  • Lodged in bank a/c on Thursday/Friday every week

Funding:

  • VTOS is funded by the Department of Education and Science with the assistance from the European Union as part of the National Development Plan 2007-2013, and operated by the City of Dublin VEC.

Duration:

  • Students are allowed two years on VTOS. If your course is longer than two years duration, you may transfer to the BTEA scheme to complete your course. (BTEA application to your local SW office).

Coordinator:

  • Frank C Kenny
  • Queries, problems, advice and addition information can be dealt with during VTOS office times.
  • Email: vtos@bcfe.net
  • Tel: 6298517
  • Text: 087-2363139

Millennium Partnership Fund for Disadvantage

Students may apply for assistance under the Millennium fund. The fund is administered through local partnerships.

  • All applicants must be currently in further/higher education or have secured a place within the academic year 2005-2006.
  • Proof of college registration is required.
  • The applicant must be resident, or their family home must be located, within the Partnership or Community Group area.

For more detailed information on the guidelines and the administration of the fund please contact your local partnership or guidance counselors for contact addresses.

Local Partnerships

PLC Maintenance Grants

Persons to whom the scheme applies :

Students who are entering PLC courses for the first time in the current college year or who are already in attendance at approved PLC courses.

Students are ineligible if they already hold an NCVA Level 2 and are undertaking a second FETAC award at the same level. To be eligible the course undertaken must show progression. The same criteria applies to BTEC courses.
Students are ineligible if they already hold a third level qualification at National Certificate, National Diploma, Degree, Postgraduate or equivalent level.

Students on degree courses please note:

“ students who already hold a FETAC(NCVA) level 3 qualification or equivalent or any third level qualification, including a HND, are ineligible for grant assistance” under the PLC Maintenance Grants Scheme

(Department of Education and Science letter of 22nd May 2003 to all Vocational Education Committees)

Eligibility

To be eligible for a grant under this scheme a candidate must:

  • Be at least 15 years of age on commencement of the PLC course.
  • Have been ordinarily resident in the administrative area of the Vocational Education Committee from 1st October of the previous year. The VEC shall have the discretion to waive this requirement in exceptional circumstances.
  • Conform to the current years income limits.
  • Hold EU nationality, have official refugee status or have been granted humanitarian leave to remain in the state.

Application for Grants

Grant applications must be made on the official application form which is available from your local VEC. Guidance counsellors have supplies of City of Dublin VEC forms.

The Maintenance Grants Scheme for students attending PLC courses does not cover the charge for registration/certification and examination.

Vocational Education Committees

Back To Education Allowance (BTEA)

The Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) is an educational opportunities scheme for unemployed people, lone parents and people with disabilities who are getting certain payments from the Department of Social and Family Affairs.

The allowance is payable to people who wish to pursue approved second and third level courses of education. BTEA is not an umemployment payment. Participants receive a standard rate of payment which is not means tested. If you are signing for unemployment 'credits' only, you may qualify to participate in the scheme but you will not receive an allowance.

The course must be full time and lead to a certificate that is recognised by the Department of Education and Science, awarded by the Further Education and Training Awards Council (FETAC ) or the Business and Technology Education Council ( BTEC ).

To qualify for a Back to Education Allowance, you must be:

  • At least age 21 ( at least 24 if applying for an approved postgraduate qualification) and
  • Getting one of the following social welfare payments for at least:
    • 6 months (156 days) for the Second Level Option.
    • 15 months (390 days ) for the Third Level Option.
  • Unemployment Assistance or Unemployment Benefit or Farm Assist.
  • On-Parent Family Payment, Deserted Wife's Allowance, Deserted Wife's Benefit, Widow's/Widower's Non-Contributory Pension, Widow's/Widower's (Contributory) Pension or Prisoner's Wife's Allowance.
  • Carer's Allowance (having ceased caring responsibilities).

Periods spent on BTEA, VTOS, FÁS, Training Courses, Youthreach, Community Employment Schemes, Back to Work Allowance, FÁS Job Initiative or Job Assist can count towards the qualifying period. You may access the BTEA Scheme directly from one of the above schemes if you were in receipt of a relevant social welfare payment prior to participation in one of the above schemes and there is not more than a 4 week break between ceasing one of the above schemes and commencing an approved course of study. Otherwise you must be in receipt of a relevant social welfare payment immediately prior to commencing an approved course of study.

When you have been accepted on a course, you should notify the Department of Social and Family Affairs by completing the form (BTE 1).

Your BTEA payment is not affected by any Maintenance Grant you may receive. You may keep any secondary benefits you already have e.g. Christmas Bonus, Fuel Allowance, Diet Supplement, Rent or Mortgage Interest Supplement* under the Supplementary Allowance Scheme. You will also be entitled to an annual allowance towards the cost of your studies. This allowance is payable at the start of each academic year and is currently €24.00.

Earnings from part-time employment do not affect the basic BTEA payment. However, any income which you and/or your spouse receive (except the first €50.00 of weekly earnings from part-time work) is assessable for Rent or Mortgage Interest Supplement.

Note: The BTEA Scheme does not exempt students from paying resource fees.

© Copyright BCFE, 2007
National Development Plan City of Dublin Vocational Education Committee