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DSSR 281 Definitions

DSSR 282 Scope

Standards for Authorization

 

Q. May educational travel be reimbursed when a child is enrolled in a U.S. college and travel is between post and the school in a foreign area for the junior year abroad program?

A. Yes. DSSR 283.4 allows transportation to be authorized to and from a school outside the U.S. Under certain circumstances. The eligible dependent must be in a program approved by a school in the U.S. that the student attends, and reimbursement may not exceed the cost of travel between the post and the school in the U.S.
 

Q. How much unaccompanied baggage (UAB) is allowed under educational travel?

A. UAB is authorized by DSSR section 285.1 for the educational travel benefit in accordance with agency travel regulations (currently up to 250 pounds for State Department as found in 6 FAM 125.3 and 6 FAM 147.2).
 

Q. When educational travel is performed before a child actually becomes eligible under DSSR 280, may the employee later be reimbursed when the dependent achieves eligibility?

A. Employees may not be reimbursed for travel at their own expense which took place before the date dependent became eligible to travel (see DSSR 283.1a for 14 day window for possible exception). An anniversary date must initially be established in accordance with DSSR 283.1, and normally, but not always will be the date of the first post-to-school trip (please read 283.1 carefully). Subsequent round trips cannot begin until one full year from the anniversary date but may be taken anytime during that year. Educational travel not used in any 12 month period cannot be carried over into the next year. 5 USC 5924(b) limits this benefit to one round trip per twelve month period. The wording of the regulation, approved through an interagency process, is based on the need to ensure that the congressional and GAO limitations are not exceeded.
 

Q. Can an employee be reimbursed for educational travel if his/her child is a cadet or midshipman at a U.S. military service academy (West Point, Naval Academy, Air Force Academy, etc.)?

A. No. A student attending a U.S. Military service academy does not meet the definition of a child/dependent as outlined in DSSR 040m(2) and DSSR 281.d. Students attending U.S. military service academies are considered members of the military because they must fulfill their service requirement upon graduation.
 

Q. My daughter, who is 22 years old, has just graduated from college. She traveled with me to post four years ago and has used the educational travel allowance during that period. The personnel officer said I can't use post funds to bring her to post because she is no longer considered a dependent. Is this true?

A. Under DSSR Section 284 d III, post can fund the dependent child's educational travel to post provided the child commences final travel within three months from the date she finishes college. Such one-way travel shall constitute completion of the final leg of the educational travel round trip. While DSSR Section 040m defines a dependent child as being under the age of twenty-one, the twenty-one year old age limit is revised only for educational travel. Post should contact PER/CDA/ASD for specific guidance concerning the return travel of dependent children who are twenty-two years old or more. Specific rules apply to dependent children who traveled to post on the employee's transfer orders before the child reached age twenty-one.

(Last updated May 29, 1998)