Help - Any ideas???

I am almost finished my Cert 3 in Fitness which will only enable me to work as a gym instructor which is basicly someone that works on the floor of the gym and doesn't do much! I signed up knowing that I would be doing my Cert 4 following the cert 3 after which I would be a qualified personal trainer.

The problem now is my husband and I have seperated and i'm not going to be able to afford to do the cert 4 :( I really, really don't want to work on the gym floor for years, people only do it as a stepping stone to becomming a PT.

Does anyone know if there is anyway of doing certificates other than a pprivate college? I think I can do it at TAFE but it's on the gold coast and I think thats going to work out too expensive with cc and petrol etc. Is there any kind of help from CL if you're not studying full time? Or any help paying for the course? I really don't want to give up on it all now but I feel like i'm stuck and i'm so frustrated.

TIA

Yeah there is help from Clink but I think its only if you qual for PP. It depends on the caseload of the course, I can find out for you tomorrow if BG doesnt already know the answer.

Its about $75 a f/nite (??) and its called PES.

Great, if you could find out that would be great :) I do qualify for PP. Does the PES affect any other payments? Will I get that and less something else?

$75 a fortnight would be good. I think we paid back the cert 3 at $150 a fortnight so half would go a long way...

Nah, its an extra. You wont lose anything else.

Don't forget that if you're working in the industry (i.e. on a gym floor) then your course is tax deductible. Last year I deducted my $1000+ in fees (also had some other deductions) and got nearly $3000 back, so don't forget to factor that in!
Also, it's really annoying, but Qld TAFE fees are WAY higher than any other state. Write to Anna Bligh about it. I do. A lot.

hiya hun

if you qualify for PPS (which it sounds like you do) and are studying, you MIGHT qualify for PES (pensioner education supplement) - you need to be studying a specific portion of a full time case load to be able to qualify. it's around $62 for a full time student (or anyone studying over 50% full time case load) - if you're part time (25-50%), you get a portion of that.

as to funding for the course, there is nothing c'link can offer in that way. you will have a pensioner concession card if you're on PPS, so may be eligible for a discount on course fees via the TAFE. if not, the only other option is to sign up with a job network member (via c'link) and speak to them about course funding. it's not easily available though...

hope that helped

BG

Great thanks. I hadn't thought about it being tax deductable so thats good too! Someone pm'd me about YMCA as well, they're a lot cheaper than anywhere else going by their website and they say they won't turn ANYONE away based on money so I assume they're lenient with budgets.

Thanks guys it's great to know there is always someone on here who can help :)

get the details of the YMCA course and contact youth and students (132490) with course name, institution details and course code - get them to check if it's PES eligible. not all courses are eligible

More questions from me! Fitlink, one of the private colleges is Austudy approved. Does child support affect Austudy amounts? If I qualified for Austudy I could study full time and use that to pay for child care.

Do any other payments affect your elligibility for Austudy?

Thanks :)

Dunno about QLD but in NSW Im under the impression that TAFE is free or cheap for people on pensions and youth allowance.
I studied at TAFE about 5yrs back and I got my fee's waivered as I was on youth allowance/job allowance.

Something to look into!