[scottmet99]

I have been unemployed since January 2010. I am beginning school in February and am wondering 2 things.

1) Can your unemployment benefits be cut off if you are attending school?

2) Will unemployment cover any part of my school tuition?


My certification will take 7 months and I'd be devastated to lose unemployment benefits before then. I am currently in Tier 2.

Thanks.

[mlassoff]

I thought unemployment benefits were exactly for this type of retraining? (I'm not trying to answer the OP, I am just curious myself).

What kind of certification are you obtaining?

[MrGompers]

Originally Posted by scottmet99

I have been unemployed since January 2010. I am beginning school in February and am wondering 2 things.

1) Can your unemployment benefits be cut off if you are attending school?

2) Will unemployment cover any part of my school tuition?


My certification will take 7 months and I'd be devastated to lose unemployment benefits before then. I am currently in Tier 2.

Thanks.

This is an interesting question. I don't think attending school necessarily cuts off your benefits. I collected unemployment benefits once about 10 yrs ago. I remember two of the questions were "did you attend school part time or full time during the last week" and "were you searching for and able to accept full time work during the last week" I don't know if the same questions are being asked now.

I think if you are going to school at night and are free during the day to accept work you are OK. For example, if your previous job was 1st shift it's safe to assume your next job would be 1st shift. Thereby, leaving nights open for school.

Conversely, if you are a banker who usually works 1st shift and attend school during the day, I would guess your outta luck. Not many bankers work 2nd or 3rd shifts.

At any rate, if you are concerned about it I would look at the Dept of labors website for answers. They are the only people who can give you a definitive answer.

[DawnMTL]

I found this on the CT Dept. of Labor website:

[SIZE=2][SIZE=2][LEFT]Attendance at a School, College or University[/LEFT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=2][/SIZE][/SIZE][SIZE=2][SIZE=2][LEFT]If you are separated from employment, become eligible for benefits and then[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]decide to begin attending a school, college or university as a regularly enrolled[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]student, you may continue to collect benefits, provided you are available for[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]and seeking full-time work which does not conflict with classes. (If you quit[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]your job in order to attend school, on the other hand, you will be disqualified[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]from receiving benefits). If you were a full-time student anytime during the two[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]years prior to your separation from employment, you must also have been a[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]full-time employee during that same two-year period in order to receive this[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]consideration. Otherwise, you must be willing and able to change classes or[/LEFT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]drop out of school if you find a job which conflicts with your classes.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2][/SIZE][/SIZE]

ETA: I didn't find anything re: tuition except for veterans or those in the military.

[scottmet99]

Originally Posted by mlassoff

I thought unemployment benefits were exactly for this type of retraining? (I'm not trying to answer the OP, I am just curious myself).

What kind of certification are you obtaining?

My certification will be in Human Resources Management. I will then be able to apply for HR jobs. I already have a B.A. in Communications. My current field (Broadcast Media) has gotten me nowhere since I was laid off almost a year ago. That is why I'm switching fields.

After some preliminary research, it seems as if, even if attending school, if your time runs out, your benefits can be cutoff, and it doesn't look like they will help with my tuition. I'm not sure what they pay for exactly, but it's not for mine.

[MrGompers]

Originally Posted by scottmet99

My certification will be in Human Resources Management. I will then be able to apply for HR jobs. I already have a B.A. in Communications. My current field (Broadcast Media) has gotten me nowhere since I was laid off almost a year ago. That is why I'm switching fields.

After some preliminary research, it seems as if, even if attending school, if your time runs out, your benefits can be cutoff, and it doesn't look like they will help with my tuition. I'm not sure what they pay for exactly, but it's not for mine.

If you have been unemployed that long, I would imagine your income has dropped significantly. If your income is low enough, you should be able to qualify for financial aid thru the Fed and/or State Govt's. Financial aid office at your school should be able to answer this.

I don't know of any specific retraining programs run by the state for unemployed people. I think your more likely to find that with corporations such as Pratt & Whitney who work out deals with their unions (when they lay people off).