Student benefits while at an FTO?

[Waypoint 11]

I am just about to start a full time course at an FTO. Does this mean that I am entitled to 'student privileges' such as student railcards, cheaper trips to the dentist and reduced council tax?

Cheers,

waypoint 11

[cortilla]

no, no and no. The government will not recognise your student status in any way shape or form. If they recognised you as a student they'd have to give you NVQ tax relief and a loan. We wouldn't wanna help a wannbe tho would we. However if your fto is based on a university campus tho you get issued with a uni id card, and you can use that to get cheap cinema tickets.

P.s. all i write is based on info from a couple of years ago and things might have changed since then and i stand open to be corrected.

[Tee]

I didn't pay Council Tax for 6 months - a student exemption. This one probably depends on your local authority and your powers of persuasion but worth a try.

[silverknapper]

If your not working though you could try claiming jobseekers allowance. I know some people who got it and some who didn't, you really just have to bu@:£$it them a bit about looking for work etc. I got it, and the £55 a week is better than a kick in the arse!!

[WX Man]

I was thinking about approaching the NUS and BALPA and trying to get the government to recognise student pilots as students. I know it's a long shot but I think it's worth a try.

Of course getting tax lifted off flight training would be a huge advantage, but I didn't realise that this would come with it?

[distaff_beancounter]

WX Man
If they recognised you as a student they would have to give you NVQ tax relief...
Sorry, but Vocational Tax Relief, that was linked to NVQs, ceased for everyone in 2000, not just for flight training students. :(

[Flypuppy]

I approached BALPA about this issue before I started training, by writing a letter to the then top bod, Chris Darke about this very issue. The answer, in a very nice letter, was basically ****** off and talk to us again once you are qualified.

For some reason, studying to become a professional pilot is regarded as some kind of hobby, which attracts no assitance from the government at all. Unfortunately, I can understand this to an extent. When NVQ relief was available it was badly abused by flying schools selling PPL's. Sometimes you get the feeling that when it comes terms and conditions pilots can be their own worst enemy.

[witchdoctor]

If your course is an integrated course, then it is counted as full-time education on an approved course and you will be entitled to en exemption from payment of council tax. (Guess this is about the only saving you make against the modular route).

I also think that I remember having seen posters from the NUS at our FTO whereby you could get some sort of associate membership (might have been a small fee involved - couple of quid) and get a NUS card and attendant benefits. Didn't have much interest in it, so can't be sure of my facts there.

If you go integrated, then as mentioned above, you are considered to be in full-time education and if you get caught claiming dole, it would be a bit of a kick in the nuts for your criminal background check should the airlines call you for interview.