Navigating the complexities of overseas assignments includes understanding the benefits available to U.S. Department of State employees and their families. Among these is Educational Travel, a provision designed to support the education of employees’ children while serving abroad. This guide breaks down the key aspects of educational travel, drawing from the Department of State Standardized Regulations (DSSR), to provide a clear understanding of this important benefit.
Defining Educational Travel and Key Terms
Educational travel, as defined under 5 USC 5924, specifically refers to authorized travel for children to and from educational institutions offering full-time secondary or post-secondary education. It’s crucial to understand the precise definitions of several terms to fully grasp the scope of this benefit.
Who Qualifies as a “Child” for Educational Travel?
The DSSR clarifies who is considered a “child” in the context of educational travel, referencing Section 040m(2) and (4). Generally, this includes dependent children who are eligible for secondary or post-secondary education. It’s important to note that while a 21-year age limit typically applies to dependents, educational travel provisions have specific age limits outlined in Section 284, Column III, which we will discuss further.
Secondary and Post-Secondary Education Defined
Secondary education is defined as attendance at a school, either public or private, providing instruction at grade levels 9-12, or their equivalent. This encompasses the typical high school years.
Post-secondary education is more broadly defined as enrollment in a full-time program at an accredited institution. This includes:
- Universities or colleges, including 2-year junior or community colleges, offering academic courses leading to a degree.
- Nursing, performing arts, technical, or vocational institutions that lead to a degree, certification, or license.
Accreditation is a key factor here, ensuring that the educational institution meets recognized standards.
What Constitutes an “Annual Trip”?
An “annual trip” for educational travel is defined as one round trip between the employee’s foreign post and the child’s school, completed within a 12-month period. This round trip can be taken at any point within that 12-month window. It’s important to note that any unused portions of an annual trip cannot be carried over to subsequent periods. Each 12-month period grants a new, independent round trip allowance.
Scope and Eligibility for Educational Travel Benefits
Educational travel is designed to cover a child’s travel expenses between their school and the employee’s foreign post once each way, annually, for secondary or post-secondary education. This benefit is subject to specific conditions detailed in Section 284. Under certain circumstances, this educational travel can be authorized in addition to other travel benefits the child might be eligible for in connection with the employee’s authorized travel.
Crucially, it’s explicitly stated that no education allowance can be granted during the 12-month period following a child’s arrival at an educational institution if educational travel benefits are utilized for that arrival. This clarifies that educational travel is intended to facilitate travel to and from school, not to supplement general education costs through an allowance while the child is at school using educational travel benefits for arrival.
Standards for Authorization and Anniversary Dates
The head of an agency holds the authority to approve payment or reimbursement for a child’s travel expenses between school and the foreign post for one round trip annually, contingent upon the conditions outlined in Section 284. Educational travel can begin either from the school or the post, offering flexibility in travel arrangements.
Anniversary Date for Travel: A key aspect of managing educational travel is the “anniversary date.” Subsequent round trips can be authorized twelve months after the starting date of the very first leg of the initial educational travel round trip. Once this anniversary date is established with the first instance of travel, it remains constant for all future trips.
Recognizing the varied academic calendars, particularly at the post-secondary level, a 30-day window prior to the anniversary date may be considered on a case-by-case basis for reimbursement. This is intended to accommodate scheduling challenges related to school terms and is not meant to expand the benefit beyond what is legally provided or to facilitate earlier travel unrelated to educational needs.
In cases where an employee transfers directly from one foreign post to another without a break in service, the established anniversary date remains unchanged. However, if an employee is assigned to the U.S. for a period exceeding twelve months, a new anniversary date will be established upon their return to a foreign post.
Travel prior to eligibility is generally not permitted, with the exception of the 30-day period mentioned previously. Reimbursement for travel expenses will not be provided if the travel occurs before the child’s eligibility date.
Conditions of Educational Travel: Age Limits and Trip Authorizations
Section 284 of the DSSR outlines specific conditions based on the type of education and direction of travel (from post to school or school to post). The following table summarizes these conditions for clarity:
| | I. Type of Education | II. Trips Authorized | III. Age Limit of Child (See Section 281.d)
