Can I collect PA UC benefits while doing nursing clinical hours and reducing my full-time work?
Hey everyone, I'm in a bit of a bind with my work schedule and nursing program. I currently work full-time (40hrs/week) at a healthcare facility, but I'm also enrolled in a nursing program that requires me to complete 160 hours of clinical rotations next semester. My clinical supervisor just told me these hours have to be done during weekdays, which means I'll need to reduce my work hours for about 8 weeks. My employer can't accommodate my clinical schedule, so I'll have to cut back to part-time (about 24hrs/week). Someone mentioned I might qualify for partial unemployment during this temporary reduction in hours. Is this true? Can I collect PA UC benefits to help cover the income gap while completing my nursing clinicals? Has anyone been through something similar?
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Freya Andersen
I worked through nursing school last year and had a similar situation. According to PA UC rules, you MAY qualify for partial benefits IF your reduced hours are due to lack of work from your employer. The key question is whether your employer is reducing your hours (eligible) or if you're voluntarily cutting back hours to attend school (not eligible). In my case, I wasn't eligible because I was considered to have voluntarily reduced my hours for school. Your situation might be different though if your employer can't offer you suitable hours around your clinical schedule.
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Ravi Patel
•Thanks for the insight! Technically, my employer doesn't have shifts available that would work around my clinical schedule (they're all 8-hour day shifts when I need to be at clinicals). So it's not exactly voluntary on my part... but I'm also the one who enrolled in the program. It's confusing!
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Omar Zaki
probly not gonna qualify tbh... PA unemployment is super strict about this. if ur choosing school over work hours they see that as voluntary reduction. my cousin tried this with her paralegal program and got denied fast
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CosmicCrusader
•EXACTLY THIS!!! The UC system doesn't care about your education or improving yourself! They just want you working ANY job even if it's below your potential. It's a BROKEN SYSTEM designed to keep people from advancing. I tried to get benefits during my certification program and they treated me like I was trying to commit FRAUD just for asking!!
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Chloe Robinson
Congrats on nursing school! I remember those clinical rotations being brutal with scheduling. Did you talk to your HR department? Sometimes they can classify it as a temporary layoff which would make you eligible. Worth asking!
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Ravi Patel
•Thanks! I haven't talked to HR specifically about how they'd classify it. That's a good idea - I'll definitely ask if they could consider it a temporary layoff or reduction due to lack of suitable work hours.
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Diego Flores
To give you the most accurate information: According to PA UC regulations, you need to meet several criteria to qualify for partial benefits: 1. Your reduction in hours must be employer-initiated (not voluntary) 2. You must be able and available for full-time work 3. You must be actively seeking additional work to replace your lost hours 4. Your weekly earnings must be less than your weekly benefit rate plus the partial benefit credit (30%) The critical issue in your case is that attending school/clinicals makes you unavailable for full-time work during those hours, which could disqualify you. However, if your employer formally reduces your hours because they cannot accommodate your clinical schedule (classifying it as lack of work), you might have a case. I would recommend getting something in writing from your employer about why your hours are being reduced.
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Ravi Patel
•This is really helpful, thank you! So it sounds like the key is how my employer classifies the reduction. I'll definitely get something in writing from them. Do you know if I'd need to be applying to other jobs during this period? It would only be for 8 weeks, and I'd go back to full-time after clinicals.
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Diego Flores
•Yes, you would still need to complete the work search requirements (applying to at least two positions each week) and document those efforts. Even for temporary situations, PA UC requires this. You might also want to check if your nursing school has any emergency funds or scholarships for students facing financial hardship during clinical rotations - many programs have resources specifically for this common issue.
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Anastasia Kozlov
when i tried getting benefits last yr it took FOREVER to get anyone on the phone!!! kept getting busy signals for 3 weeks straight! if you do apply make sure you have lots of time to deal with it lol
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Sean Flanagan
•I had the same problem but then I found this service called Claimyr that got me through to a PA UC agent in about 15 minutes instead of spending days redialing. It was super easy to use - you just put in your number and they call you when they've got an agent on the line. Saved me so much time and frustration! You can check out how it works at claimyr.com or watch their demo at https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2. Much better than constantly hitting redial for weeks!
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CosmicCrusader
Here's what NOBODY is telling you: UC will use ANY excuse to deny benefits. I got laid off from my job BECAUSE I was in school even though I never missed a single shift! Then they denied me benefits saying I wasn't 'available for work' because of school. THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS RIGGED AGAINST STUDENTS!!!
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Freya Andersen
•I understand your frustration, but there's an important distinction here. Being laid off while attending school (and being available for work) is different from reducing hours to attend school. In the first case, you should be eligible as long as you remain available for suitable work. In the second case, you're considered to have limited your availability, which affects eligibility. It's not anti-student; it's just how the program was designed - to support people who lose work involuntarily while remaining fully available for new employment.
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Chloe Robinson
My sister went through something like this last year. She talked to her nursing program coordinator first, and they actually had some suggestions about how to work with her employer. Might be worth asking your program if they've dealt with this before?
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Ravi Patel
•Thank you! I didn't even think about asking my program coordinator. I'll reach out tomorrow and see if they have any advice. Maybe they've helped other students navigate this situation before.
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Diego Flores
One more consideration: If you do apply for UC benefits, be very clear and honest about your school schedule on your initial application. If you're found eligible and later UC discovers you didn't disclose your school attendance, it could result in an overpayment determination or worse. Make sure to report that you're in school and any restrictions it places on your availability when you file your biweekly claims as well.
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Ravi Patel
•That's a really good point. I definitely don't want to risk an overpayment issue. I'll be completely transparent about my schooling if I do end up applying. After all these responses, I think I'll talk to both my HR department and nursing program coordinator first to see what options I have before applying for UC benefits.
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