I'm sure this issue has been brought up but is there any limits to going to school and collecting SSDI or SSI? I am hoping to attend full time in the fall.

I've owed some money to the college when I first got sick and couldn't complete a quarter and was awarded Financial Aid. Now that I am getting the rest of my backpay soon I am able to pay my fine. A whopping 250 dollars. Which is a lot when you aren't able to work and on a fixed income.

Any help is appreciated!

i would check and see if you can have that fine dismissed being you were found eligible for ssdi or ssi during the time period the student loan covered.

from what i have gathered from previous discussions on here you can go to school while collecting ssdi or ssi.

personally i wouldnt want to take 18 credits a semester and raise any questions from SS in that area as to indicating ability to do some kind of work. but thats just me.

Well they do have the "Ticket to Work" Program. Seems like lots of GRAY area...

I'm still asking the question, and don't know if there is an answer to it.. I went to school full-time to get my Bachelors degree. Ofcourse, I have an diagnosis (schizoaffective) which is labeled 'improvement not likely (7 year window), so I was never given a CDR during that time period. The CDR, or Continuing Disability Review asks you what you have been doing the last few years, so I believe they will ask about whether or not you are pursuing an education.. what effects this has, I'm still waiting to know the answer

I too am dx schizoaffective. I was told if you win basedon a mental disability not to go to school full time. This throws up a flag stating enough improvement to take you off SSDI. This is what my attorney from Allsup told me after winning.

I asked this same question quite some time ago and still haven't officially checked into it. I wanted to take online courses. One course at a time but I guess I'm afraid of stirring the pot if I call someone at SS and ask the question

It took so long for me to get approved and I would hate for them to discontinue my benefits in the blink of an eye. I just don't trust them. Sad to say, but it's true.

IApplied in 2006. Was approved in 2009 and am supposed to be reviewed every three years. My review should be coming sometime next year and I don't know how it would affect it if I am taking online courses.

I don't have the money to pay for courses but I still have hope.

One or two classes should not be an issue, and there is no requirement to report this (clarification--you're not required to call and report this now, but you will have to report it when you receive your CDR.) You are required to notify them if you've had a change in your health of course. Many community colleges offer online classes and along with financial aid, this shouldn't cost you anything. Taking out student loans for classes that are more for intellectual pursuits is a bad idea of course. Or even taking classes with the hope of a return to work...

Anyone that can manage a full time load can likely work at least part-time, not a bad thing IMO. Protecting SSD benefits to the point of not moving on with your life makes no sense to me.

These are 2 different scenarios.

This link is meant for those still in the application process, but some of the info is still appropriate.

http://www.socialsecurityinsider.com...benefits-case/

Thanks LIT LOVE.... I cannot open the link you supplied but I did want to respond. I have a college in mind and love their program. It's everything I want on a personal level. I can take one course online at a time but there is a problem... the financing. I do qualify for financial aid but it doesn't cover everything so I need to find the extra money needed from somewhere. I'm not taking out any student loans because I agree that it wouldn't be smart since I'm on SSDI and have no idea if I can ever work again to repay them.

I so agree about not moving on with my life because of SSDI makes no sense. That's why I'm trying to find something to do and am lead in this direction.

In the past,I've been known to make decisions without really thinking about them and then regret them later. That's one reason why I'm a little more cautious in pursuing this.

The link is fixed! And PLEASE READ this one as well:

http://groups.google.com/group/alt.s...bbee32417a5e35

Anyone receiving SSI would need to report financial aid to SS, but that is not an issue with SSDI.

And the 2nd CDR short form question does ask if you've gone to school or received any training. So, while you don't have to call and volunteer this info, at some point in time you will have to disclose it.

http://www.ssd-forms.com/SSDFacts/SSA-455-OCR-SM.pdf

Shari is this a public college? If it's not, you can likely find a similar program online for less money, without a drop in quality.