The Foreign Service Journal, April 2003

AFSA Scholarship Applications By the Feb. 6 deadline, AFSA had received 62 Academic Merit Scholarship applica- tions, 17 Art Merit Scholarship applications, and 118 Financial Aid Scholarship applications from children of Foreign Service members. This is consistent with the number of applications received in 2002. In May, AFSA will announce 15 Academic Merit winners and one Art Merit winner. These Foreign Service high school students win one-time-only awards of $1,500. The Financial Aid Scholarships are based on need and are for undergraduate study for the 2003/2004 school year. Of the 118 students who have applied, approximately 70 will receive college awards of $1,000 to $3,000, totaling $124,000 from AFSA. Most of the remaining applicants were ineli- gible based on their parents’ assets and income. APRIL 2003 • AFSA NEWS 3 Americans who have lost their lives while serving theU.S. government abroad in for- eign affairs. Six names of Foreign Service members will be added this year, includ- ingUSAIDofficerLaurenceFoley,whowas murdered in a terrorist attack inAmman, Jordan, in October 2002. The other five individuals are being added under the expanded criteria approved by the AFSA GoverningBoard twoyears ago,whichnow also honor those Foreign Service employ- eeswhowere killedoverseas “in the line of duty.” They are Jerry V. Cook, Richard ArthurCoulter,HowardV. Funk Jr.,Oscar Curtis Holder and Sidney B. Jacques. Familymembers, friends and colleagues of the honorees are invited to attend the cer- emony. Contact Barbara Berger at (202) 338-4045,ext.521, ore-mail berger@afsa.org if you are interested in attending. The program for Foreign Affairs Day will be similar to last year’s, with a wide selection of seminars from the regional bureaus and other department offices. Therewill alsobe a seminar offeredon the new long-term health care plan. The tra- ditional luncheon will be held in the Benjamin Franklin Room of the State Department, and Director General of the Foreign Service Ruth A. Davis will be the featured speaker. AFSA will again hold a reception at the Foreign Service Club from3 to 5 p.m. AFSA scholarship winners will be acknowledged during the reception. All participants in Foreign Affairs Day are invited to relax and mingle with former colleagues. There will be a cash bar, and complimentary hors d’oeuvres will be served. ▫ AFSA NEWS BRIEFS Continued from page 2 JOSH Last-Minute State Tax Questions? The February issue of AFSA News contains our annual guide to federal and state tax provisions affecting the Foreign Service. The guide can be found on the AFSA Web site. There is a link from the home page at www.afsa.org, or go to http://www.afsa.org/tax_guide2002.pdf. Disincentive Pay T he good news for domestic federal employees is that the FY 03 appropria- tions bill includes a 1 percent increase (retroactive to Jan. 1) in locality payments. This, for example, will raise Washington, D.C. locality pay to 12.74 percent. The bad news for overseas employees is that the “overseas disincentive pay cut” will also rise to 12.74 percent. Thus, folks at 10-percent differential posts such as Kingston and Shanghai will now earn 2.74 percent less than colleagues inWashington, D.C. Employees at 15-percent differential posts such as Dakar and Rangoon will earn an effective hardship differential of only 2.26 percent. Please see AFSA’s Feb. 4 cable and AFSANet message for details on efforts to eliminate this financial disincentive to over- seas service. Foreign Affairs Day • Continued from page 1 SUPPORT THE FOREIGN SERVICE ON CAPITOL HILL In connection with Foreign Affairs Day, AFSA will hold its third annual “Day on the Hill” program on Thursday, May 8. There are many international challenges facing our country at present and American diplomacy needs the support of the American people and Congress. We encourage retirees to join AFSA in visiting with congressional repre- sentatives and staff on Capitol Hill. This event provides a unique opportunity for retirees to confer with key legislators and discuss Foreign Service and foreign affairs issues. AFSA is sending out invitations for “Day on theHill” toForeign Service retirees (mem- bers andnon-members). If youneedmore information, send an e-mail toMarcGoldberg at goldberg@afsa.org. ▫