The Foreign Service Journal, June 2008

oading up the family car with loot from the local department store and squeez- ing into it for the long (or short) drive to the college campus is an eagerly antici- pated rite of passage for many American students. But for the Foreign Service kid who lives overseas, it is often a com- pletely different scenario. Instead, the reality is probably packing a couple of suitcases — and weighing them careful- ly — to get ready for the airplane trip back to the States or to another foreign locale. The college-bound Foreign Service student traveling from overseas must first tackle the logistics of getting there. Getting There Will the student travel on educational travel orders, the DSSR-280? This benefit allows one round trip per year between post and school with a U.S. government-purchased ticket on a parent’s orders. Flying on such a ticket adds some complications. Families must pay close attention to dates of travel (anniversary dates) because each student is allowed only one paid ticket per year. But in return, they enjoy the flexibility to more easily change dates of travel. Students preparing to go to college on their own may not pay too much attention to the ticket itself. However, they need to be aware of whether they are traveling on a paper or an electronic ticket. Though most of the world now uses e- tickets (electronic ticketing), it is wise to check this. I know of one student who showed up at the airport thinking he had an e-ticket, only to find out the hard way he was traveling on a paper ticket: when he couldn’t produce it, he was denied boarding. Fortunately, the ticket was U.S. government- issued, and could be rebooked in time for the holidays. Another consideration is frequent-flyer programs. If this is an available option, and the child is not already enrolled in such a program, the wise family will do so now and start banking a mileage balance that can be traded in for future travel and benefits. The same goes for credit cards that offer miles for dollars spent. Travel documents are another important consideration, especially diplomatic passports. Check that the name on the passport is the same as the name on the ticket, or the student won’t fly. Make sure passports stay in a safe place. A color photocopy of it, stored in another carry-on bag for safekeep- ing, would not be a bad idea. I know of one Foreign Service student who lost her passport upon landing in Dulles! Whether it fell out of an unzipped bag or was pickpocketed as she left the plane doesn’t matter — the passport vanished. And need I mention that the passport should never be packed in the checked luggage? A related issue concerns the difference between traveling on a diplomatic and a tourist passport. Some countries will only allow a tourist passport to be used for non-resident diplomats. Most young people assume their diplomatic pass- ports will allow them to go anywhere. Not true — they should always check if they are going to be doing any side travel. The idea of a long solo flight may sound like a great adven- ture to the student, but for the parents who watch their child walk down the ramp alone to jet off into the strato- 68 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / J U N E 2 0 0 8 F LYING S OLO — G OING TO C OLLEGE FROM O VERSEAS : A G UIDE FOR P ARENTS T HE LOGISTICS OF GOING TO COLLEGE FROM OVERSEAS CAN BE A CHALLENGE FOR STUDENTS AND PARENTS ALIKE . H ERE ARE SOME THINGS TO CONSIDER . B Y R EBECCA G RAPPO S CHOOLS S UPPLEMENT Rebecca (Becky) Grappo, an educational consultant and FS spouse, raised three children and sent them all to college while in the Foreign Service. She specializes in boarding schools and college planning and is a Certified Educational Planner and a member of both the Independent Educational Consultants Association and the National Association of Coll- ege Admissions Counselors. A former education and youth officer in the Family Liaison Office at the Department of State, she is currently posted with her husband in Muscat. You can visit her Web site at www.rebeccagrappo.com . L Continued on page 72