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Open University course - classed as what??!
hum_lovely
Posts: 184 Forumite
Just wondered whether anyone else has any experience of whetehr an OU course (60 points so 18 or is it 16 hours per week) is officially recognised ie are you recognised as a student for benefit purposes? Not sure exactly what I am asking this for but have seen on some benefit calculation forms asking the question are you a student and I wondered if anyone else has found whether being an OU student is accpeted as such?
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I think you are allowed to study at home as it is not preventing you from working. You can study in the evenings/weekends etc, so you should still be free to work.0
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hi
I'm an OU student part time, i'm sure that you have to be a student full time to qualify for benefits.
Rebe0 -
Ive been an OU student fr some years without it affecting benefits being a home study course.
If you are on benefits and want to apply, they do have an excellent financial assistance fund.0 -
A 60 point course is based around 10 hours or so a week, so you go under the 16 hour limit for full time study. If you do two 60 points courses you may have a problem, but not with one.0
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http://www.open.ac.uk/new//plan-your-study-time.shtml
According to this, a 60-point course is based on 16 hours' study a week over 9 months; a 30-point course is based on 8 hours' study a week over 9 months and a 10-point course is 6-8 hours a week over 20 weeks.0 -
We don't count it in our authority but some Authorities do, there was a guidance note issued around 1996 which left the decision to the local authority as to whether the OU counted as a qualifying course of education.- http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/ctax/ctil/ctil13.pdfI no longer work in Council Tax Recovery but instead work as a specialist Council Tax paralegal assisting landlords and Council Tax payers with council tax disputes and valuation tribunals. My views are my own reading of the law and you should always check with the local authority in question.0
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I've just signed on for JSA and admitted (more fool me!) that I was studying at the local college (in the evenings so at college for about 3 hrs a week) for an A Level which finishes in about 6 weeks time and for which I paid for back in September.
But becuase I admitted this I have to have a learning agreement from the college .......so gawd help an OU course!2014 Target;
To overpay CC by £1,000.
Overpayment to date : £310
2nd Purse Challenge:
£15.88 saved to date0
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