Can you collect unemployment and go to college

However, if you didn't have a job at all while enrolled in school, and you have no work history or earnings that your state can use for base period calculations, you may be ineligible. If you don't qualify for unemployment while in school or after graduation, or your benefits have run out , you may have other options to close the financial gap.

For instance, you may be able to enter a vocational training program that pays while you're in school, so you earn an income while learning new skills. If that's not an option, managing your finances while you're out of work can mean going back to basics. Reviewing your spending and trimming down your budget can help.

Moving back home with your parents could be a temporary solution for saving money. You could also consider selling things you don't need to raise extra cash while you look for a job. If you're in school and lose your job, then it's likely you don't have to worry about making student loan payments.

That's because if you have federal loans, you're eligible for in-school deferment. You have to be enrolled at least half-time to qualify for this benefit. If you've fallen below half-time enrollment or you've already graduated, you may be able to qualify for an unemployment deferment through the Department of Education by filling out a specific form.

Keep in mind, however, that depending on the type of loans you have, interest may continue to accrue on your balances. Whether you can defer private student loans depends on your lender and the options it offers for managing payments while unemployed. The easiest way to know if you qualify for unemployment is to call your local unemployment office. Your state may also list the requirements to qualify for unemployment online so you can see at a glance how likely you are to be eligible.

The Department of Labor maintains a list of website links and contact numbers for each state's unemployment office. If you're ready to file for unemployment, you may be able to do so online through your state's benefits website, over the phone, or in person. You'll need to provide personal information, including your name, Social Security number, date of birth, address, and contact details. You'll also need to share information about your previous employment, including dates you worked for different employers, estimated earnings, and your reason for separating from your job.

Unemployment benefits vary from state to state, and the maximum amount you qualify for depends on where you file a claim. Some states only allow benefit recipients to participate in certain programs; other states require that while you attend school you continue to search for suitable employment, and some states allow a benefit recipient to attend school and defer a job search for a specified length of time.

If the benefit recipient lives in a state where school or training is allowed as a substitution for looking for work, check with the state's workforce program to find out what type of training qualifies. In some states, such as Ohio, enrolling in an accredited program is sufficient -- in other states, only certain programs are allowed.

However, even in states that allow only certain programs, allowances can occur. For example, it is possible that a laid-off bookkeeper who wants to attend school to get a bachelors degree in accounting could still collect unemployment, since the education would further his current career.

Depending on whether the benefit recipient opts to take online courses or attend school on a campus, unemployment may or may not be affected. Many states do not consider online programs to be a barrier to seeking work, and therefore those classes are not in violation of being available for suitable work. These short-term training courses focus on concrete job skills or retraining you for a new career. Even better, the government pays for all or part of the training program.

Cut your premiums by going back to school. Many schools offer affordable group health insurance to their students. In fact, you may not even have to be a full-time student to qualify.

But proceed with caution. The downside is that you may have to use the on-campus student health service for basic medical needs and referrals to specialists before your coverage kicks in. And while you can get coverage for yourself, it can be difficult to get full benefits for your family. When family coverage is available, the rates can be much higher than what you pay just for yourself.

On the other hand, there are some affordable health insurance options for the unemployed , so be sure to consider everything before moving forward. Unfortunately, panicked people often make poor long-term decisions, like rushing into an MBA program or heaven help us law school in hopes of landing a better job.

While grad school is a good option for some, it can cost a lot of money and, in the case of traditional classroom programs, restrict your ability to relocate for better work opportunities. Before you hurry into the commitment of a full-time program, check out the adult and continuing education programs at local community colleges and universities.

Given coronavirus, people should not be taking work that is unsafe, and "it broadened eligibility to anyone who lost income," she said. The loss of summer jobs, not to mention work-study programs that disappeared along with living on campus, makes the assistance especially critical for students.

The assistance program is "one of the easier ways to get aid," he added. Full-time students are eligible for benefits, according to April guidance from the Department of Labor.

They must have worked part-time, have filed a tax return and be unemployed or unable to work because of a reason related to Covid There's no proposal for extending the pandemic assistance program.