TWC rules about taking community college classes while collecting unemployment benefits

yes u have to report it!!! i made the mistake of not reporting a online class i was taking last year and they hit me with an overpayment of like $2800 when they found out. there a question on the payment request form that asks if ur in school or training

You definitely need to report it on your payment request, but it doesn't automatically mean you'll lose benefits. TWC has something called the Approved Training program where you can take classes and still get benefits if they approve it. The key factors are: 1. You must remain available for full-time work despite your class schedule 2. The training should improve your employment prospects 3. You need to be able to adjust your class schedule if a job comes along You should call TWC to ask about getting your training approved. Be sure to explain that it's only 8 hours per week and it's specifically to improve your job skills.

I took welding classes at San Jac last year while on unemployment. Just make sure you answer YES to the school/training question when you request payment. They might call you to verify your availability for work. As long as you can prove you're still looking for work (keep your work search logs detailed!) and would quit the class for a job, you should be fine. I never had any issues.

I've been trying to get through to TWC for three days to ask this exact question about my online courses at ACC! Nothing but busy signals and disconnections. Finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got through to an agent in under 15 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/V-IMvH88P1U?si=kNxmh025COIlIzKh The agent told me that continuing education classes under 12 hours per week generally don't interfere with benefits as long as you report them and remain available for work. But definitely report it - hiding information can trigger an investigation.

DONT LISTEN TO PEOPLE SAYING ITS OK!!!! TWC is looking for ANY reason to deny benefits!!! my sister lost ALL her benefits because she took ONE class at Lonestar and they said she wasnt available for work. System is RIGGED against us!!

To clarify some misinformation in this thread: According to TWC rules, you must report ALL school or training when requesting payment. However, the impact depends on several factors: 1. Number of hours (less than 12 weekly usually considered part-time) 2. Schedule flexibility (can you adjust for work?) 3. Whether you apply for the Approved Training exemption For your 8-hour community college class, you should: - Report it on your next payment request - Continue performing and documenting your 3 required work search activities each week - Be prepared to explain how you remain available for full-time work - Consider applying for Approved Training if this is career-enhancement training You can find the complete policy on the TWC website under "School or Training while Receiving Benefits.

i took a quickbooks class at hcc last summer n when i reported it twc sent me a questionnaire about my schedule n availability. answered everything honestly n they decided i was still eligible for benefits. jusst make sure ur still doing ur work searches every week

Update: I just completed my payment request and reported my HCC class. The system asked a few additional questions about my availability for work, which I answered honestly (yes, I'm still available for full-time work). Now it says my payment request is under review. Fingers crossed it gets approved without issues! Thanks everyone for the advice.

Just wanted to add my experience - I took a Microsoft Excel certification course at Austin Community College while collecting unemployment last year. Similar situation to yours - 8 hours per week, career-focused training. I reported it immediately on my payment request and got a questionnaire about 10 days later asking about my schedule and availability. I explained that the class was evenings only and I could skip it for job interviews or work. They approved my benefits to continue without any issues. The key is being upfront about it and demonstrating you're still actively job searching. Keep detailed records of your work search activities - that's what saved me when they called to verify my claim. Good luck with your certification!

I'm currently taking a similar certification program at Lone Star College (10 hours/week, evenings) and just went through this process last month. Here's what happened with my experience: When I reported it on my payment request, TWC sent me a detailed questionnaire within about a week asking about my class schedule, whether I could miss class for job interviews, and how the training related to my job search. I answered honestly that the classes were all evenings/weekends and that I would absolutely prioritize any job opportunity over the class. About 2 weeks later, a TWC examiner called me and asked very specific questions: "If you got a job interview during your class time, what would you do?" "If an employer needed you to start immediately, would you drop the class?" "Are you limiting your job search to only positions that would accommodate your school schedule?" The call lasted about 10 minutes and felt more like they were making sure I understood my obligations rather than trying to catch me in something. They approved my continued benefits and I never had any payment delays. My advice: Keep detailed work search logs, be prepared to explain exactly how your schedule doesn't limit your job availability, and don't stress too much about the review process - they seem to understand that career-focused training can actually help people get back to work faster.

I went through a similar situation last year with TWC while taking a cybersecurity certification at HCC. Based on my experience, here are the key things that helped me maintain my benefits: 1. **Report it immediately** - Don't wait or try to hide it. I reported mine on the very first payment request after enrolling. 2. **Document everything** - Keep copies of your class schedule, syllabus, and any communication with TWC. They asked me for my class schedule about 3 weeks after I first reported it. 3. **Emphasize flexibility** - When they called me (about 2 weeks after sending the initial questionnaire), I made it very clear that I could reschedule classes, skip sessions, or even withdraw completely if I got a job offer. The examiner seemed satisfied with that response. 4. **Continue active job searching** - I actually increased my job search activities to 4-5 per week instead of the required 3, just to show I was serious about finding work. The whole review process took about a month from start to finish, but I never had any payment delays. The examiner told me that part-time training (under 12 hours) that enhances job skills is generally viewed favorably as long as you remain genuinely available for work. Your 8-hour evening class sounds very reasonable and should be fine if you handle it properly. Good luck!

I'm currently dealing with a very similar situation at Austin Community College! I enrolled in a project management certification course (8 hours per week, Tuesday and Thursday evenings) and have been nervous about reporting it to TWC. Reading through all these experiences has been incredibly helpful - it seems like the key is being completely transparent and demonstrating that you remain available for full-time work. Based on what everyone has shared, I plan to: 1. Report it on my next payment request (due in 2 days) 2. Keep detailed documentation of my class schedule and work search activities 3. Be prepared to explain how evening classes don't interfere with job availability 4. Consider applying for the Approved Training program if TWC suggests it Has anyone here specifically dealt with project management or business certification courses? I'm wondering if TWC views these types of professional development classes differently than technical training programs. Also, for those who went through the review process, did TWC ever ask about the cost of the course or whether you're using financial aid? Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this thread has been a goldmine of practical information!

I just wanted to follow up on this thread since I'm now about 6 weeks into my HCC continuing education class that I originally posted about. For anyone still worried about reporting classes to TWC - it worked out fine! Here's what actually happened after I reported it: - Got a questionnaire about 8 days later asking about my schedule and availability - Had a brief phone call with an examiner 2 weeks after that (lasted maybe 12 minutes) - They asked the exact questions that @Marina Hendrix and @Carmella Fromis mentioned - mainly focused on whether I'd prioritize job opportunities over class - Benefits continued without any interruption The examiner was actually pretty understanding and said my 8-hour evening schedule was "very reasonable" for someone actively job searching. She emphasized that the key is demonstrating genuine availability for work, which I did by explaining I could skip classes for interviews and would absolutely leave the program for a job. My advice for anyone in a similar situation: don't stress about it too much, just be honest and thorough in your responses. The review process isn't as scary as it seems, and they really do seem to understand that career-focused training can help people get back to work faster. Thanks again to everyone who shared their experiences - it really helped calm my nerves during the process!

This entire thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm starting a graphic design course at Tarrant County College next week (6 hours/week, evening classes) and was really anxious about how TWC would handle it. Reading everyone's detailed experiences - especially @Sophia Gabriel's recent follow-up with the positive outcome - has given me so much confidence about being upfront and honest when I report it. The consistent advice seems to be: report it immediately, keep detailed work search records, emphasize your flexibility and availability for work, and don't panic during the review process. It's clear that TWC understands career-focused training can actually help people find better jobs faster. One thing I'm curious about that I haven't seen mentioned - has anyone taken creative/arts-related courses while on unemployment? I'm wondering if TWC views graphic design training any differently than the technical certifications and business courses most people have discussed here. My program is definitely career-focused (I'm transitioning from retail management to digital marketing), but I want to make sure I'm prepared for any additional questions they might ask about creative fields. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this community is amazing!

I just wanted to add another data point to this incredibly helpful discussion! I completed a similar process with TWC last fall while taking a data analytics bootcamp at Dallas College (12 hours/week, evenings and weekends). My experience was very similar to what others have described: - Reported it immediately on my payment request - Got the questionnaire about 10 days later - Had a phone interview with an examiner after another week - Benefits continued without interruption throughout the process The examiner was actually quite positive about my training choice, saying that data skills are "highly marketable" and asking detailed questions about how I planned to use the certification in my job search. They did ask specifically about the 12-hour commitment (since it's right at their threshold), but once I explained the flexible evening/weekend schedule and my willingness to prioritize any job opportunities, they approved continued benefits. One thing that seemed to help was that I had already started applying for analyst positions even before completing the program - I think this demonstrated that the training was genuinely enhancing my job search rather than delaying it. For anyone still worried: the process is much more straightforward than it seems, and TWC really does seem to support career-focused training that improves employment prospects. Just be honest, stay flexible, and keep those work search logs detailed!