Can NYS Department of Labor unemployment benefits pay for school or training programs?
I've been on unemployment for about 2 months now and honestly the job market in my field (marketing) is pretty brutal right now. I'm wondering if there's any way NYS Department of Labor would let me use unemployment benefits to go back to school or do some kind of training program? I know I have to do the job search requirements but I feel like I'm just spinning my wheels applying to jobs that either don't exist or have 200+ applicants. Would going to school mess up my weekly claims? Has anyone done this successfully?
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Oliver Schulz
You can't directly use your unemployment payments to pay tuition, but there are training programs approved by NYS Department of Labor that might help. Look into the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program or Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) funding. These can sometimes provide training assistance while you maintain your unemployment benefits. You'll need to get approval first though - don't just enroll without checking with NYS Department of Labor or you could lose your benefits.
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Amina Diallo
•Thanks! Do you know how long the approval process usually takes? I found a digital marketing certification program that starts next month.
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Natasha Kuznetsova
i did a coding bootcamp while on unemployment last year. had to jump through some hoops but it worked out. the key is getting pre-approval from nys labor dept and making sure your program qualifies. mine was through a workforce development partnership so that helped
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Amina Diallo
•That's exactly what I'm hoping to do! Did you still have to do job searches while in the program?
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Natasha Kuznetsova
•yeah still had to file weekly and do some job search activities but they reduced the requirements since i was in approved training
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AstroAdventurer
Be really careful about this. I know someone who enrolled in community college classes thinking it would be fine and NYS Department of Labor cut off their benefits because they weren't 'available for work.' The rules are super strict about being able and available for immediate employment. Even if you're doing job searches, if you're in school full-time they might say you're not truly available. You definitely need written approval before starting any program.
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Javier Mendoza
•This is why the system is so frustrating! They want you to find work but then penalize you for trying to improve your skills. Makes no sense.
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Emma Wilson
I had a nightmare trying to get through to NYS Department of Labor about training approval. Spent weeks calling and either got busy signals or was on hold for hours just to get disconnected. Finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me connected to a real person at the labor department. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Saved me so much time and stress - was able to get my training program approved within a few days after talking to an actual agent.
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Amina Diallo
•How much does something like that cost? I'm already tight on money with just unemployment benefits.
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Emma Wilson
•It was worth it for me to avoid the phone hell. Much cheaper than losing benefits by enrolling in something without approval.
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Malik Davis
Wait, there's also something called the Student Loan Forgiveness program for unemployed people in NY. Not exactly paying for school with unemployment but might help with existing debt while you're looking for work.
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Oliver Schulz
•That's a different program entirely - you're thinking of federal student loan forbearance options. Good point though, worth looking into if you have existing student debt.
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Isabella Santos
marketing is tough right now for sure. have you looked at the one-stop career centers? they sometimes have free training programs that dont interfere with unemployment
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Miguel Diaz
•That's a great suggestion! I didn't know about the one-stop career centers. Do you know if they have digital marketing or tech-focused programs? That would be perfect since it wouldn't conflict with my benefits.
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