The Foreign Service Journal, June 2008

will receive an allowance to purchase materials and services while posted abroad, but this allowance will not be continued if they are reassigned to the U.S. If a foreign post does not have a secular, English-language school with an American curriculum, or has such a school that goes only through certain grades, an away-from-post or “board- ing school” allowance is provided. A lump sum, varying from post to post, is allotted to cover the estimated cost of tuition, room, board and travel to post during school vacations. Parents are free to choose the boarding school they prefer. There is no special funding for parents or students to visit schools in advance of application or for an interview, even if one is required. The U.S. government does not provide an allowance for col- lege or other post-secondary education. However, one round trip per year to post is provided for students studying at universities in the U.S. Recent legislation has also provided this allowance for students studying at universities abroad. The Office of Allowances will issue official notification when this becomes effective. Also allowed is the shipment of 250 pounds of unaccompanied air bag- gage or the equivalent cost in storage for each college or board- ing school student. All funding for education is processed by the financial man- agement officer at the post where the employee is assigned. At some posts the embassy or consulate works very closely with the school or schools, and the billing is handled directly. In other instances, the employee will pay a school fee, or pay for an airline ticket or storage, and then submit bills to the FMO for reimburse- ment. Although a student may start school at the beginning of a semester if a parent has been officially assigned to a post, the par- ent may not be reimbursed for any school expenses until he or she arrives at post. There are several offices in the Department of State prepared to help you understand how the educational allowances work, and what choices you have for your children. These include the Office of Overseas Schools (www.state.gov/m/a/os) , the Office of Allowances (www.state.gov/m/a/als ) and the Family Liaison Office (www.state.gov/m/dghr/flo/c1958.htm) . We hope that you will get in touch with us if you have any questions about your situation. Although these offices are part of the Department of State, the same allowances apply to most civil- ian federal employees under chief-of-mission authority overseas. For information or assistance e-mail FLOAskEducation@state.gov or call (202) 647-1076. Pamela Ward was the Education and Youth Officer in the State Department’s Family Liaison Office. 72 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 S CHOOLS S UPPLEMENT sphere halfway around the world, it is worrisome! We all know that missed flights, cancellations, delays and bad weather can happen en route. Talk over “what if” scenarios before your children leave so they will know who to talk to and what to do. Arming them with a credit card that has inter- national authorization for purchases and ATM withdrawals is an important protection for emergencies — as long as they realize that a great sale in duty- free does not constitute an emer- gency! It is also important to provide kids with a way of staying in touch and reaching out if they do need help dur- ing their trip. Nearly all kids have cell phones, and many parents have already made sure that these phones have global calling capability. Alter- natively, a calling card with an account code that works internationally is handy in an emergency. If the student is carrying a laptop, Internet access is also comforting for parents anxiously awaiting word that their child made that critical connection in Paris and all is well. Some students may have wire- less cards or Internet service through companies like Vonage; others can purchase time at various airport loca- tions using a credit card. Before we leave the subject of get- ting there, it is important to mention getting home again. Many parts of the world are difficult to reach over the holidays, so it is important to book travel over the winter break as early as possible for the best options. Staying in Touch with Home Many parents remember their own college days, when the phone call home was often a collect call made on Sunday night. Today’s families are used to more instantaneous and con- tinuous communication, no matter where in the world they are. It is a given that a student will have a cell phone, but here are a few things to think about. Does the family already have a plan with a U.S. service provider? If so, then it may be easy to add another line for as little as $10 a month. But you want to ensure that the child has enough minutes to talk for a whole Talk over “what if” scenarios before your children leave so they will know who to talk to and what to do. Continued from page 68 ABCs • Continued from page 71