I recently learned about the California Training Benefits Program, which allows UI recipients to attend school full time while still maintaining eligibility for Unemployment. NOTES: -> Even WITHOUT participating in the CTB Program, UI recipients CAN attend school while receiving UI benefits, as long as they indicate on Weekly Certification form that attending school will NOT interfere with their ability to accept full-time work.
-> By participating in the CA Training Benefits Program, however, a UI recipient can attend school full time WITHOUT having to meet the work availability requirement. If a UI recipient is approved for CTB, the CTB participant is eligible for a separate UI extension of up to 26 weeks beyond the regular UI period. I have found a fair amount of information about CTB online. There is a list of qualifying training and educational degree programs, and we also have the option of choosing a program that is not on EDD's list (at Accredited Institution) and submitting the program details to EDD for CTB approval. (It looks to be a broad and generous list of qualifiers.) To participate in CTB, we have 1) to inform EDD of our interest in the program; 2) apply for CTB qualification with one or multiple forms (which may come from EDD directly; I cannot find the forms online); and report the start date of our classes when we Certify for Benefits. Every reference I have found to the program indicates that we should mark the start date of our classes on the weekly certification form. Sometimes, just reporting the start date of classes signals EDD to contact us regarding our interest in the program. HOWEVER, after we enter Yes to the question did we "start or attend classes," I DO NOT KNOW whether to mark Yes or No as to whether our classes would interfere with our ability to accept full-time work. The reason for partipating in the program is that it allows UI recipients to go to school FULL TIME (which would preclude working full time) and still receive benefits.
I don't want my benefits to be cut off because I indicated on my Certify form that since I'm attending school, I cannot accept full-time work. I don't know how long approval for the CTB program takes, but it sounds like I would need to go to school full-time in order to qualify. According to EDD info, participants to qualify will be exempt from the requirement to look for or be available for full-time work (much like regular COVID UI), but with the caveat that if COVID payment runs out while we're in school, CTB will qualify us for Extended Benefits. BUT how do we handle reporting until we've been approved for the program? I'm doing a find-your-own-degree program (not on EDD's preapproved list) and submitting it to EDD for approval. So for me to qualify for CTB, they have to review my application and make a determination to approve my degree (and school) selection. Of course, I don't know how long that will take. So in the meantime, I have no idea what to mark on the form about accepting work. I didn't find anything online Covid-specific regarding the requirments either, except to "report the date you start classes." Can you guys help? Besides being a firm commitment, degree program costs about $1,700/month (which I've already started paying), so I certainly don't want my benefits cut off prematurely. Here are a couple of links I found regarding CTB, if this helps at all? Nothing about the application forms they reference, though; couldn't find those. https://frwdb.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/CTB-Fact-Sheet-DE-8714U-1.pdf CTB Application Letter/Instructional Form
Thank you so much for your time and help! :) Jean Bowick
Hi Jean - that's tough. If you answer that you are going to school the following question asks if you are prevented from taking full-time work. I understand what you wrote, but being an old computerized system - they will not understand if you mark it appropriately/honestly. I always tell people to answer honestly, but I can understand why you want to know how to go about it while you wait on the application and before they just straight up disqualify you.
That being said, the only way (and painful way) would be to call and directly speak to someone -- especially if you are looking to get results ASAP. Otherwise, the other option could be to answer those questions honestly and (they say on their website) when you answer questions that will flag your account like that -- they would call you to get clarification... but (as I'm sure you know) can you really trust them? Or if they disqualify you, you can appeal -- but that would not put you in a good situation (delayed benefits).
So... if you don't want to wait on them to respond to you, you'd have to call :( :( :( ! I know! I hate when I tell people that b/c I'm not really offering new advice... but it's not like EDD has any other way to get things done.
Also just want to add that btwn answering honestly or collecting -- if that becomes a choice, it's better for you to answer honestly because if you end up collecting and they find that you weren't supposed to collect (or you get denied the CTB application), you'd have to pay it back PLUS a % fee. Whereas, the other situation where you answer honestly and get disqualified... and let's say you DO qualify for the program -- you could potentially get the backpay... or even appeal it. Just explaining the two potential situations to consider.
Thank you again for your response to this.. I did eventually get thru to EDD on the phone. The representative looked too and couldn't find a clear answer either. However, she was familiar with the CTB program because she had participated in it herself. However, that was before COVID, and she enrolled by walking into a local CA Workforce Development/Training (not sure exact title) office.. Many have been closed because of COVID, or are "By Appt. Only."
Anyway, she couldn't find any other directions for submitting a request or application. So I just entered it when I Certified for those weeks. Turns out, it did NOT ask if school would prevent me from accepting work. Here are the questions it asks: Start & End Date of classes; Name of learning institute; Address & Phone number of learning institute; Type of Program (Certificate, Degree, Employer-Sponsored Training, etc.); Degree pursuing (if applicable); Class format (online, or in person); Class meeting times (if applicable); if Online classes, are they scheduled for set times or can you log in anytime; Have you received a report date to return to work; If Yes, what is the date?
I reported all the info. However, my Claims (last six weeks) are in Pending status for what looks like an unrelated reason. Apparently there were two weeks in Pending before I started classes, so at that point I had not reported attending classes yet.