Can I Collect Unemployment While I Go Back to School Part Time?
When a person is laid off, he is often eligible to file for unemployment benefits. These benefits are paid weekly to the individual while he attempts to search for a job. The person who is receiving unemployment benefits must meet a number of criteria to receive benefits. Generally, being a part-time student will not prevent him from being eligible.
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Eligibility
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A person can only collect unemployment if the state government deems him eligible to receive benefits. Because unemployment benefits are issued by the federal government, eligibility guidelines are standardized across all states. To receive benefits, a person must have been laid off from his position; must be actively searching for work while he is unemployed; must be willing to take a job offered him; and must be available to work.
Availability
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The main obstacle that a part-time student would encounter in filing for unemployment would be if the state government deemed him unavailable for work. In addition to attending classes, the student may also have homework and other commitments related to his education. If the government decided that these obligations made him unavailable to hold a full-time job, it might possibly deny him benefits.
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Benefits
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There are a number of cases in which a laid-off worker might wish to take part-time classes. By improving his education and job skills, the worker may improve his chances of being hired for a new position. This would enable him to stop receiving unemployment benefits. However, if this new education significantly interfered with his ability to search for a job, the government would not issue him benefits.
Evidence
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A worker may be required to demonstrate that the classes he is taking are not interfering with his job search and his ability to hold a job. He could do this by presenting his case worker at the unemployment bureau with a schedule of his classes, as well as a description of his workload. He could also document his job search, as is already a requirement of receiving unemployment benefits.
Considerations
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One of the requirements for people receiving unemployment is that they be willing to accept "suitable" work. According to the legal reference website Arizona Law Help, this means that while a mechanic need not take a job at a fast-food restaurant, he does have to take a mechanic position. Even after taking classes that improved his skills, a worker would still likely have to accept a job similar to the one from which he was laid off.
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References
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