VTOS

What is VTOS?

VTOS is a funding option for applicants who have been on an eligible social welfare payment for 6 months or more and are aged 21 years or over at the start of their course.

  • People on a Jobseekers Allowance or Jobseekers Benefit payment or signing for credits MUST change to another payment such as VTOS in order to enrol on a full-time course.
  • There are no course charges and essential books and materials are provided free of charge.
  • Meal and travel allowances may be payable in some circumstances.

For more information on VTOS see FAQS below  

How to apply for VTOS

A prospective VTOS student may enrol for any course advertised in the Institute brochure.  Further information is available on the Department of Social Protection’s website www.welfare.ie or from your local Department of Social Protection office or from the Institute’s VTOS Coordinator (reception@scfe.ie).

Step 1Apply for a course in SCFE and accept your place offer.
Step 2Apply for VTOS by completing the VTOS Application Form.
Click here for the VTOS Application Form
Step 3Complete the VTOS Payment Details form.
Please email vtos@scfe.ie to request one to be emailed or posted to you.
Step 4

Email evidence of your age (e.g. passport, medical card, driver’s licence or birth certificate) along with the completed Payment Details Form to vtos@scfe.ie.

Paper versions of the Payment Detail Form can be sent to VTOS Coordinator, SCFE, Pearse Street, Sallynoggin, A96 KV84

Once you have completed Steps 1 to 4, a VTOS place will be held for you in SCFE.

We will send you final VTOS set-up forms in August or September.

VTOS Frequently Asked Questions

Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme

You can drop into reception during office hours or email vtos@scfe.ie with any questions you may have about VTOS or for help completing the forms.

There are 3 steps to apply for VTOS-please see the ‘How to Apply for VTOS’ document.

  1. Complete the online VTOS Application Form
  2. Email evidence of your age to vtos@scfe.ie
  3. Complete the Payment Details Form when you receive it by email

We can then hold a VTOS place for you.

VTOS place offers will be made by email and text in late August.

If you accept your VTOS place offer in August/September, we will send you information about how to get set-up for payments on VTOS.

Jobseekers Allowance, Jobseekers Benefit or Signing for Credits

you will need to have 2 forms completed in August/September

Other eligible payment such as Disability, One Parent Family Payment etc

you will only need to have 1 form completed in August/September

Jobseekers Benefit and Jobseekers Allowance  

If you accept a VTOS place, these payments transfer to a VTOS Training Allowance at the start of your course.

VTOS Training Allowances are paid nationally on a ‘week in arrears’ system.

This means that you would get paid for week 1 at the end of week 2.

You would get paid for week 2 at the end of week 3 and so on for the year.

This may result in no payment for the first week (it but you would receive a double week’s pay at the end of the course to make up for this. 

 

All other Social Welfare Payments such as Disability, One Parent Family Payment, Pension etc

These payments continue to be paid in the usual way from the Department of Social Protection with no interruption or break in payments.

Disability, Illness Benefit and Invalidity Pension recipients need permission in writing from the Disability, Illness Benefit or Invalidity Pension Office if they are offered a VTOS place. The college can do this for you.

 

Travel allowances (if you are eligible) and Meal Allowances

These are paid into your bank account.

What is an IBAN number?

IBAN stands for International Bank Account Number.

It’s an internationally agreed code made up of letters and numbers that helps banks to process transfers around the world.

  • On your Bank Statement
  • You can log into your mobile banking (phone)
  • You can log into Internet Banking
  • An example of an Irish IBAN, which contains your existing NSC or Sort Code & Account Number is: IE64BOFI90583812345678

The image below is from the Bank of Ireland website and explains how an IBAN contains your bank sort code and your bank account number.

The format should be the same for all banks in Ireland.

BOI Iban example