Will EDD disqualify me for attending community college part-time?

Your friend is wrong - attending school doesn't automatically disqualify you. EDD uses something called the "School or Training" eligibility criteria. The important thing is whether your schooling affects your availability for work. Since your classes are only in the evenings and you remain available for full-time work during normal business hours, you should be fine. When you certify for benefits every two weeks, you'll need to answer "yes" to the question asking if you began attending school or training. This will trigger additional questions. Be honest! EDD might contact you for more information about your schooling schedule to verify it doesn't interfere with your ability to accept suitable work.

i did this last year when i got laid off!! took classes at City College while on UI. just make sure ur still looking for work like they require. they just want u to prove ur still available to work full time if a job comes up. night classes are perfect for that.

When I started a certification program while on unemployment, EDD sent me a School Attendance eligibility interview notice. I was really nervous, but it went fine. The interviewer just wanted to confirm my class schedule wouldn't prevent me from accepting work. Have all your class schedules ready if they contact you. Also make ABSOLUTELY SURE you're doing your required work search activities every week - they look at that stuff more closely when you're in school.

EDD is horrible about this stuff. My cousin got all his benefits denied retroactively because he took ONE online class and they decided he wasn't available for work even though he was applying EVERYWHERE. They made him repay thousands!!! The whole system is designed to find ways to disqualify people.

I've been taking 2 online classes while on EDD and haven't had any issues. Make sure to check the box during certification that says you're attending school, and then answer all the questions about your availability honestly. I just explained that my classes were flexible and wouldn't interfere with work. I never even got an interview about it.

Has anyone ever tried reaching EDD to ask about this specifically? I've been trying to get through to an agent for days about a similar question (vocational training) and it's impossible. All I get is the "we're experiencing high call volume" message and then it hangs up on me.

btw if ur taking classes that improve ur job skills in ur field there's also something called the CTB program (California Training Benefits) where u can actually get approved to attend school full-time without having to look for work. different situation than urs but might be worth looking into if ur classes are related to ur previous work

I'm in a very similar situation! Just started a part-time evening program at community college while on EDD benefits. When I certified two weeks ago, I checked "yes" for attending school and they asked follow-up questions about my schedule and availability. I explained that my classes are 6-9 PM twice a week and don't affect my ability to work full-time during business hours. So far no issues - my payment went through normally. The key is being completely transparent about your schedule. I also made sure to keep applying for jobs and documenting everything in case they want to review my work search activities. Evening classes seem to be the sweet spot since most employers expect you to be available during regular business hours anyway.

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who went through this exact situation last year. I was on unemployment after getting laid off from my retail job and decided to take two evening classes at the local community college (business administration). When I certified and answered "yes" to attending school, EDD didn't contact me at all - my benefits continued without any interruption. The key things I did: 1) I was completely honest during certification, 2) I kept detailed records of my job search activities (applied to 3+ jobs per week), and 3) I made sure my class schedule was clearly during non-business hours (6-9 PM Tuesday/Thursday). I think the evening timing really helped because it showed I was still available for normal work schedules. Those classes actually helped me get my current job - the skills I learned made me a much stronger candidate. So don't let fear stop you from improving yourself while you're job hunting!

I was in almost the exact same situation a few months ago - laid off from a warehouse job and considering part-time classes while on EDD. I ended up enrolling in a supply chain management certificate program (evening classes, 2 nights per week) and it worked out great! When I certified, I checked "yes" for school attendance and answered the follow-up questions honestly about my schedule. EDD never contacted me for additional verification, and my benefits continued normally. The most important thing is showing you're still available for full-time work during regular business hours. Since your logistics management classes are only 9 hours per week in the evenings, you should be fine. Just keep doing your required job searches and document everything. Those classes actually made me a much stronger candidate - I just started a new logistics coordinator position last month that I probably wouldn't have gotten without the extra training. Go for it!

I'm actually going through this right now! Started my part-time evening classes at community college three weeks ago while on EDD benefits. When I certified, I answered "yes" to the school question and they asked about my schedule and availability. I explained that my classes are Monday/Wednesday 7-10 PM and don't interfere with my ability to work full-time during business hours. My payments have continued without any issues so far. The key is being completely transparent - don't try to hide it because they'll eventually find out and that could cause real problems. I've been keeping detailed records of my job applications (doing 4-5 per week to be safe) and saving everything in case they audit me later. From what I can tell, as long as your evening schedule doesn't prevent you from accepting suitable work during normal hours, you should be fine. Just make sure you're still actively job hunting and can prove it!