The back to education allowance is a second chance educational opportunities scheme designed to encourage and facilitate certain groups, particularly people who have been unemployed for a time and are having difficulty getting back into employment, to improve their skills and qualifications and, therefore, their prospects of returning to the active work force. To qualify for participation in the third level option of the scheme an applicant must, inter alia, be in receipt of a relevant social welfare payment for at least 15 months, 390 days, immediately prior to commencing an approved course of study. The person concerned does not meet this requirement and does not, therefore, satisfy the eligibility criteria for participation in the scheme.