Can I get NY unemployment if I quit my job to go back to school? Urgent help needed

Unfortunately, in New York State, voluntarily quitting your job to attend school generally doesn't qualify you for unemployment benefits. To be eligible for NY unemployment, you must be: 1. Out of work through no fault of your own (layoff, business closure, etc.) 2. Ready, willing, and able to work immediately 3. Actively seeking work each week Attending school full-time typically disqualifies you on points 2 and 3, and quitting voluntarily disqualifies you on point 1. You might want to look into financial aid, scholarships, or student loans for your nursing program instead.

The previous answer is mostly correct, but there are a few exceptions worth knowing about. If you can prove that you're still able to work full-time while attending school, you *might* qualify. But you'd need to show that: - Your school schedule doesn't interfere with standard work hours - You're actively looking for work - You're available for immediate employment Also, if your employer was genuinely creating a hostile work environment or violating labor laws with their scheduling practices, that could potentially qualify as "good cause" for leaving. But just not accommodating your school schedule usually isn't enough for "good cause" in NY.

This happened to me back in 2023!!! I quit my job to go to paralegal school and got DENIED unemployment. Total BS if you ask me since I'd been working and paying taxes for like 7 years before that. The system is rigged against people trying to better themselves. Good luck with nursing school though!

You might qualify under very specific circumstances: 1. If you're in a state-approved training program (some nursing programs qualify) 2. If you can prove you had to quit because of a significant change in your hiring agreement 3. If you're only attending part-time and can still work full-time But honestly, based on what you've described, it's a longshot. If you really want to know for sure, you should try to speak with an actual NYSDOL agent. Getting through to them can be nearly impossible though. I was in a similar situation last month and finally got through using Claimyr (claimyr.com). They have a system that calls for you and gets you through to an agent without the endless wait. Helped me get an actual answer from a real person instead of guessing. They have a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

evry1 saying u cant get benefits is WRONG!! i quit my job when i went back to school for IT 2 yrs ago and still got benefits. u just need to tell them ur looking for part time work while in school. they dont check that hard tbh

Have you thought about asking your former employer if they'd be willing to say it was a layoff instead of a quit? My brother-in-law's boss did that for him when he went back to school. Not all employers will do it, but some are understanding if you've been a good employee. Worth a shot maybe?

Thanks everyone for the advice. I'm going to look into whether my program qualifies as state-approved training, but I'm not getting my hopes up. I definitely don't want to commit fraud or lie on my application! I think I'll focus on finding a part-time job that works with my schedule and applying for more financial aid for school.

did u check if ur school has emergency funds for students? my community college had grants for people in ur exact situation. worth asking the financial aid office!