Back to Education Initiative BTEI
The Back to Education Initiative (BTEI) provides part-time further education courses mainly for young people and adults who have not completed the Leaving Certificate or an equivalent qualification.
| Award Name | Level 6 Advanced Certificate (Level 6 NFQ) |
|---|---|
| NFQ Classification | Major |
| Awarding Body | QQI |
| NFQ Level | Level 6 NFQ |
| Award Name | Level 5 Certificate (Level 5 NFQ) |
| NFQ Classification | Major |
| Awarding Body | QQI |
| NFQ Level | Level 5 NFQ |
| Award Name | Level 4 Certificate (Level 4 NFQ) |
| NFQ Classification | Major |
| Awarding Body | QQI |
| NFQ Level | Level 4 NFQ |
| Award Name | Level 3 Certificate (Level 3 NFQ) |
| NFQ Classification | Major |
| Awarding Body | QQI |
| NFQ Level | Level 3 NFQ |
| Award Name | Level 2 Certificate (Level 2 NFQ) |
| NFQ Classification | Major |
| Awarding Body | QQI |
| NFQ Level | Level 2 NFQ |
| Award Name | Level 1 Certificate (Level 1 NFQ) |
| NFQ Classification | Major |
| Awarding Body | QQI |
| NFQ Level | Level 1 NFQ |
| Award Name | NFQ Classification | Awarding Body | NFQ Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 6 Advanced Certificate (Level 6 NFQ) | Major | QQI | Level 6 NFQ |
| Level 5 Certificate (Level 5 NFQ) | Major | QQI | Level 5 NFQ |
| Level 4 Certificate (Level 4 NFQ) | Major | QQI | Level 4 NFQ |
| Level 3 Certificate (Level 3 NFQ) | Major | QQI | Level 3 NFQ |
| Level 2 Certificate (Level 2 NFQ) | Major | QQI | Level 2 NFQ |
| Level 1 Certificate (Level 1 NFQ) | Major | QQI | Level 1 NFQ |
What is BTEI
The Back to Education Initiative (BTEI) provides part-time further education courses mainly for young people and adults who have not completed the Leaving Certificate or an equivalent qualification.
It gives you the opportunity to combine learning with family, work and other responsibilities. Anyone who has left full-time education can take part in a course, but priority will be given to those without a Leaving Certificate.
BTEI courses are usually level 3 and 4 on the National Qualification Framework (NFQ). The BTEI allows you to study part-time (up to 400 hours per year). It is possible to get a major award at NFQ levels 1-6 when part-time courses are combined to complete a major award.
You will qualify for free tuition with BTEI if you:
Have less than upper-second level education or
Are getting a jobseeker’s payment or means-tested social welfare payment (there is a list of eligible payments in the BTEI Operational Guidelines (pdf)) or
Are getting Working Family Payment or
Have a medical card or
Are eligible to participate on VTOS or Youthreach.
All other participants are charged a fee. For information about fees, you should contact your local Education and Training Board.
In general, a training allowance is not paid, but a pro-rata training allowance may be paid to a participant who is not entitled to a social welfare payment but is eligible for Youthreach.
If you are getting a social welfare payment, you can keep your payment and participate in BTEI as long as you continue to satisfy the conditions attached to your payment. If you are getting a jobseeker’s payment you will need to apply for the Part-Time Education Option.
It gives you the opportunity to combine learning with family, work and other responsibilities. Anyone who has left full-time education can take part in a course, but priority will be given to those without a Leaving Certificate.
BTEI courses are usually level 3 and 4 on the National Qualification Framework (NFQ). The BTEI allows you to study part-time (up to 400 hours per year). It is possible to get a major award at NFQ levels 1-6 when part-time courses are combined to complete a major award.
You will qualify for free tuition with BTEI if you:
Have less than upper-second level education or
Are getting a jobseeker’s payment or means-tested social welfare payment (there is a list of eligible payments in the BTEI Operational Guidelines (pdf)) or
Are getting Working Family Payment or
Have a medical card or
Are eligible to participate on VTOS or Youthreach.
All other participants are charged a fee. For information about fees, you should contact your local Education and Training Board.
In general, a training allowance is not paid, but a pro-rata training allowance may be paid to a participant who is not entitled to a social welfare payment but is eligible for Youthreach.
If you are getting a social welfare payment, you can keep your payment and participate in BTEI as long as you continue to satisfy the conditions attached to your payment. If you are getting a jobseeker’s payment you will need to apply for the Part-Time Education Option.