PDE (postgrad Education) - can you get BTEA ??

Hi for the postgrad in education, to become a secondary school teacher, can you get BTEA? Is this allowance basically the same amount as social welfare payment?

Have just recently heard about CETS a scheme to cover childcare costs - does anyone know if this would be available for the above course?

Any help really appreciated. Thanks

From www.welfare.ie

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.

More information on qualifying conditions for BTEA can be found here:
http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Schemes/BackToEducation/Pages/ThirdLevelOption.aspx

Great thanks gipimann : ) So, I'm trying to figure out what my options may be. I'm separated from my husband and currently in receipt of One parent family payment.

1) Could I move onto BTEA payment, which is essentially the same amount as the One parent family payment, and get the additional one off payment. Possibly get childcare covered under the CETS scheme?

2) Could I keep my lone parents payment and apply for maintenance grant and cover child care costs out of that ?

Are these two possible options? Anyone have any input on these? could I get the childcare covered if I moved to BTEA? If I moved to BTEA is there an issue going back onto OPFP if need be .. ANY additional info would be great. Thanks

The advantage of getting BTEA is that it is not affected by any income from employment, unlike One Parent Family Payment which is means-tested.

If your circumstances are the same at the end of your course, you can resume your One Parent Family Payment when your BTEA ends.

Grand thanks so if I was to get BTEA then fees for the course would be covered and I'd get a payment of the same amount of OPFP. Do you know anything about childcare allowances? I just saw recently that there is a scheme called CETS to pay for childcare. Any info on whether this may be an option? Or if there's anything towards travel?

There is nothing towards travel. According to Citizens Information, CETS is for participants in a FÁS vocational training course. There is no mention of it applying to college courses.

You could contact the college itself for further information.

CitizensInformation link:
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/e...care_support_during_fas_training_courses.html

Thanks for that. I think I saw it posted on another site that it may cover BTEA but I'll have to dig around. Seems like a lot of stuff has been pulled in the last year or so, particularly for new applicants. Wouldn't be feasible to go back full time if I had to cover travel and creche fees. Thanks for the info