Education.

[Maxi]

In September I shall be returning to full time education.I am taking a Social Science Access course,and teacher training,along with,GCSE English.
I want to know what will be the impact will be to me,as a carer,speaking financially.Any tips would be good.

[Sparklingtechie]

Hectic! I do part time at the OU as it's part time it has no impact finacially that way. But time and commitment you have to work into your day as a carer you can't just spend 1 hour reading then say that's enough...as your doing full time then you need over 21 hours per week on the average course with the reading/assignments/note taking alone. If you are going to a brick uni then more time than that due to travelling. Be prepaired to do 6 hours straight washing and ironing once a week rather than so much per day...you wont have time...I have done 120 credit at a time before now(full time max amount with the OU) and the only reason I could do that is becuase I often have 18 hour days.

and that's just the good bits

[susieq]

In September I shall be returning to full time education.I am taking a Social Science Access course,and teacher training,along with,GCSE English.
I want to know what will be the impact will be to me,as a carer,speaking financially.Any tips would be good.

Maxi do check with the CUK Adviceline, but I seem to remember there being constraints regarding Carers Allowance and full time education.

[g.herschel]

Who cannot get Carer's AllowanceEducation
You cannot get Carer's Allowance if you are on a course of full-time education, or you are on holiday from full-time education.

Full-time education means a course which is described as full-time by the educational establishment providing it. If the educational establishment describes the course as part-time, but attendance is required for 21 hours or more each week, it will be treated as full-time.

[Sparklingtechie]

If the educational establishment describes the course as part-time, but attendance is required for 21 hours or more each week, it will be treated as full-time.

This only applies to brick universities. At the OU I work from home, my ability to care for the time is still there and still relavent...there is no difference between me typing on my computer at home for 21 hours or watching tv for 21 hours...its the time that cuts into your ability to care that is the dividing line. Oh and its part time UP TO 21 hours....which means the clock starts at 22 hours.

[NanaNana]

I wish you the very, very best of luck with it, Sparkly.

[SezzieC]

Good luck to both Maxi and Sparkly

Well done

Sezzie x x x

[Myrtle]

Well done to both of you

[Lazydaisy]

I wish you all the best Maxi, but like the others, I would check with Carers UK helpline. I wanted to do a course a few years ago,and my family would have ended up worse off.I think the hours have changed now, but better to be certain than sorry afterwards.
I ended up doing a course at home, which I loved, but would have been nice to go to the college and do one.

[Guest]

just wanted to say good luck with your access course, I'm just finishing access to humanities x