Am I a student or unemployed??

Hi everyone, I'm taking an unexpected gap year as I want to pursue my dream of becoming a midwife. I didn't get the A levels I expected, so to improve my application I'm taking an access to HE course through the distance learning centre. I'm trying to find a job however, It's proving quite difficult at the moment... My question is, for car insurance purposes, would I be classed as a student or unemployed? I'm paying for a course and It's practically full time (around 30 hours of study a week) but its at home. I desperately need a job however, I live in the middle of nowhere where there aren't any... so if I had a car I'd be more likely to get a job. There's no way I'm getting a car if I would be classed as unemployed as its around three times more!!! Would I be able to say I'm a student? Thanks!

Well we all know how notoriously pedantic insurance companies are, so let's focus on the technicalities! You're not a student, you're on a gap year which isn't covered under any sort of "student status" here and you're not enrolled at school/college/university. Equally, you don't have a job! That makes you unemployed unfortunately.

Of course taking the chance that you won't crash/make a claim to be subject to investigation is totally up to you, but not recommended. If you do have an accident you'll lead yourself in a whole lot of trouble and you won't need your car anymore because you'll have no licence.

That said, there are other ways to bring down the car insurance:
- Parking in a garage costs more than parking in a 'residential area in the street' (I know, madness! The must have caught on to the lies people told!)
- Extra female drivers with experience as second and third drivers
- Fully-comp insurance is now on par with third part and offers way more value
- Doing say, 6000 miles per year instead of 20000

Get yourself on to the Money Expert forum too, that's full of great advice for things like this. And haggle with insurance companies & apply directly too!

Good luck with uni, finding a job and getting your car insured.

I'm paying for a course and It's practically full time (around 30 hours of study a week) but its at home

Quote from OP

But how would this part work out then.. The OP is a student but not a student?
I mean, wouldn't you still be registered to a school/college to study a Access course thus being classed as a "student"

Not a insurance pro but just trying to make sense of it all.