A person wishing to pursue back to education allowance (BTEA) scheme will have to satisfy a number of conditions such as being a certain age, in receipt of a prescribed social welfare payment for a specified time period, pursuing a full time course of study leading to a recognised qualification in a recognised college and progressing in the level of education held by the client with reference to the national framework of qualifications among others.
The back to education scheme covers a large range of full-time courses of education in approved colleges spanning basic foundation courses to third level courses across all disciplines, including, inter alia, those mentioned in the question. Courses may be pursued up to a higher diploma level in any discipline [level 8 in the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ)] and to a Graduate Diploma in Education (Primary and Secondary Teaching; level 9 in NFQ). BTEA will not usually be approved if a person holds a qualification equivalent or higher than the qualification for which the application has been received. Other postgraduate qualifications (level 9 or level 10) are not included.