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Earnings-related daily allowance is intended to secure the livelihood and job search of an unemployed person. It is not intended for supporting studies. However, studying is not an obstacle to the payment of earnings-related daily allowance if the studies are not full-time.
Always report your studies to the employment authority
It is the task of the employment authority to assess how studying affects your entitlement to unemployment benefits. Therefore, be sure to always notify the employment authority of your studies. In fact, you should already discuss study opportunities with the employment authority before you start your studies.
When you notify the employment authority of your studies, you will be asked to provide a more detailed explanation of the matter. Respond to the clarification request as soon as possible so that the matter will not unnecessarily delay the payment of earnings-related daily allowance.
Based on the clarification you provide, the employment authority will assess the extent of your studies. If the studies are not considered to be full-time in nature, you will receive a statement on the part-time nature of your studies. In this case, the studies will not prevent the payment of daily allowance.
Assessment of the full-time nature of studies
The employment authority will assess the extent of your studies based on the clarification you provide. As a rule, the scope will be assessed based on whether a degree is pursued, but also based on the number of competence points, courses and weekly hours.
The following are considered full-time studies:
studies aimed at obtaining a bachelor’s degree or a master’s degree at a university of applied sciences ;
studies aimed at obtaining a bachelor’s degree or a master’s degree at a university;
studies in accordance with the Act on Vocational Education and Training aimed at completing a vocational upper secondary qualification or part thereof, or preparatory education and training for work and independent living;
general upper secondary school studies with a total scope of at least 150 ECTS credits according to the syllabus; however, general upper secondary school studies in a boarding school are always considered full-time;
studies aimed at completing the education referred to in the Act on Preparatory Education for Education and Training to Complete a Qualification;
studies in basic education for persons other than those of compulsory school age referred to in the Basic Education Act, the scope of which is at least 22 courses per school year;
studies completed at the Open University and the Open University of Applied Sciences, the total duration of which according to the study plan is more than three months without interruption or in phases and the extent of which is at least five ECTS credits per one month of study on average;
studies aimed at completing a postgraduate degree at a university, the scope of which according to the study plan is at least five ECTS credits per one month of study on average;
studies in accordance with the Act on Vocational Education and Training aimed at completing a further vocational qualification or a specialist vocational qualification or part thereof, the scope of which according to the personal competence development plan is at least 4.5 credits per one month of study on average;
education provided at a folk high school or sports training centre referred to in the Act on Liberal Adult Education, the scope of which according to the curriculum is at least 5 credits per one month of study or 25 teaching hours per week on average;
full-time studies providing vocational skills other than those mentioned above that are provided at least four days per calendar week on average.
Exceptions
However, even extensive studies or studies leading to a degree or qualification are not necessarily full-time. If it can be assessed based on regular employment or self-employment in an established manner alongside the studies that studying will not be an obstacle for accepting full-time employment, the studies can be considered part-time.
If you have pursued studies while at the same being at work for at least six months, the employment authorities can estimate that your studies are not full-time.
Correspondingly, your studies will not be considered full-time if you have already started your studies during your employment relationship and the unemployment is due to a lay-off or dismissal on financial or production-related grounds.
Studies are not considered full-time:
between periods, if the studies are arranged in a periodised manner and the studies concerned are:
studies referred to in section 10b of the Unemployment Security Act;
studies arranged as labour market training;
jobseeker’s independent studies supported by an unemployment benefit;
self-motivated studies referred to in the Act on the Promotion of Immigrant Integration;
insofar as you participate in training that is fully arranged or procured by your employer under law;
insofar as you participate in transition security training;
insofar as the studies are part of a service promoting employment.
