Frequently Asked Questions
Supplementary Instruction 1. Q: What is the purpose of Supplementary Instruction and what can it be used for? A: The purpose of Supplementary Instruction is to provide
dependent children the opportunity to take courses not offered at the school at
post but customarily offered in U.S. public schools. It may also be used to provide additional
instruction that may be required by a school at post for a child to (1) remain
in the same grade; (2) progress to the next grade in that school's
curriculum; or (3) successfully complete an academic course to progress to the
next level in the sequence of courses.
It may also be used if the school at post does not have a Gifted and
Talented Program and if instruction is in a foreign language that the child
does not know well enough to progress in the curriculum. See DSSR
274.12a and DSSR 276.9 for addition information.
2. Q: How much is the Supplementary
Instruction allowance? Does it count against the "school at post"
education allowance maximums?
A: In addition to the allowance authorized for "school at
post" (DSSR 274.11), an additional amount up to $4,100 (as of June 2022)
may be granted for Supplementary Instruction (DSSR 274.12a). Supplementary
Instruction is considered an allowable expense for those attending "school
at post” but is not used to calculate the "school at post" education
allowance rates listed in DSSR 920 or DSSR 274.12c for children eligible
for the special needs education allowance at post.
3. Q: Can I use the Supplementary
Instruction allowance for a U.S. government course for my child at boarding
school?
A: No, Supplementary Instruction benefits are considered an
allowable expense for those attending "school at post" (DSSR 271d). A
child attending boarding school is at a "school away from post" (DSSR
271e) and is ineligible for the Supplementary Instruction allowance.
4. Q: What
is a "school at post"?
A: DSSR 271.d defines "school at post" as an
elementary or secondary school within daily commuting distance of the
employee's post of assignment.
5. Q: I've heard that I do not
qualify for the Supplementary Instruction allowance if my child doesn't attend
the base school. Is that true and what is a base school?
A: That is no longer the case. Prior to the May 2014
amendments to the DSSR, the Supplementary Instruction
allowance was more restrictive and available in addition to the
school at post education allowance only if the base school did not provide the
required instruction in courses normally offered by U.S. public schools. The
changes to the DSSR removed the base school requirement and the need for
Supplementary Instruction is now based on the school the child attends.
Per DSSR 271n definition the
"base school" is the school on which the "school at post"
education allowance is based. The base school is usually the least expensive,
adequate school available to USG students at the foreign post/location. Except
for the U.S. Department of Defense Schools in foreign locations, the U.S. Department
of State's Office of Overseas Schools determines adequacy by how closely a
foreign post/location school curriculum aligns with the U.S. public school
curriculum so that a child can transition to the next higher grade in a U.S.
public school.
6. Q: Can I use the Supplementary
Instruction allowance to pay for Advanced Placement (AP) or International
Baccalaureate (IB) Courses?
A: Yes, DSSR 276.9a states that Supplementary Instruction may
be used to pay for courses normally offered by public schools in the United
States. Because AP and IB courses are generally offered in U.S public schools,
these courses are an allowable supplementary expense.
7. Q: My child's school does not
offer physical education. Can I use the Supplementary Instruction allowance to
pay for P.E. classes?
A: Yes. Because P.E. is a normal part of the curriculum at U.S
public schools, the allowance may be used to pay for a P.E. course if the
child's school does not offer any physical education courses. (See DSSR
276.9a).
8. Q: My child is one of several
American high school juniors at post, none of whom have taken U.S history. None
of the local schools offer any American history courses. Can we pool our
Supplementary Instruction resources and pay a local teacher to teach an
American history class? Can we pay one of the children's parents to teach the
class? If not, can we use the allowance to pay for course materials when a
parent is teaching the course?
A: Because U.S history is a course customarily offered in U.S
public schools and because it is not offered by schools at post (DSSR 276.9a),
the allowance may be used to pay for such a course. There is no prohibition on
families pooling their resources to set up a formal course. A local teacher may
be hired to teach the children U.S history. The parent of a child receiving the
Supplementary Instruction allowance may not be reimbursed for teaching their
own child. However, the regulations do not prohibit an employee or their
spouse, or their domestic partner from being compensated for teaching the
children of other employees. Also, a parent teaching their own child may be
reimbursed for course materials used to teach the child.
For example, if five parents at post
want to pool their Supplementary Instruction resources to establish an American
history class and they want to pay one of the parents to teach it, we suggest
that the per student cost be divided into two parts. One cost would be for
course materials and renting classroom space, while the other would be to pay
the teacher's salary. All employees could be reimbursed for the course
materials and classroom space. In addition, all employees except the
employee whose spouse or domestic partner was the teacher, could be reimbursed
for salary-related costs. The teacher/parent would deduct the cost of educating
their own child from their salary. For example, if the teacher/parent was
charging $1000 to teach the course and one of the five students was their
child, they would only be reimbursed $800 from the Supplementary Instruction
allowance.
Please note, however, that an
individual teacher cannot confer high school credit. We recommend that the
instructor use a standardized distance learning course that is accepted in the
United States for high school students, so that the students may receive credit
upon fulfilling course requirements. Also note, per DSSR 040m(2),
"Any child or children of a domestic partner of an employee shall be
deemed a stepchild of the employee."
9. Q: My child's school
requires that a child have completed Algebra I to enter the 9th grade. My son
has only completed Pre-Algebra courses. Can I use Supplementary Instruction to
get him caught up in math?
A: Yes, Supplementary Instruction may be used to pay for
additional instruction to enable a child to successfully complete an academic
course to progress to the next level in the sequence of courses. (See DSSR
276.9c.)
10. Q: My daughter has not taken
chemistry and is entering the 10th grade. Students in the school at post's
honors program take chemistry in the 9th grade, while others take it in the
10th grade. Without chemistry, my daughter will not be allowed in the honors
program. Can I pay for it using the Supplementary Instruction allowance?
A: No. You cannot use the Supplementary Instruction allowance
to get your child into an honors program. The allowance is intended to help a
student enter a grade, remain in the same grade, or complete a grade in a
school at post, but not to ensure them a place in the honors program. (See
DSSR 276.9.)
11. Q: My 8th grader attends an international
school with an integrated math curriculum, which means algebra and geometry are
taught together in the junior high and high school years. This system is very
different from that in U.S. public schools where a child would take the first
year of algebra in one grade, geometry in the next, and the second year of
algebra in the third year. We plan to transfer back to the States next year
when my son will be entering high school, but he will not have had enough
algebra to have finished Algebra I and enter 9th grade Geometry. Can I use the
Supplementary Instruction allowance to pay for algebra tutoring during the
school year so that my child finishes the Algebra I coursework?
A: Yes, DSSR 276.9a allows for instruction in academic subjects
generally offered by U.S. public schools. The Supplementary Instruction
allowance may be used for additional math instruction so that a
child receives an adequate education at post.
12. Q: There
are no adequate English-language schools at post. We do not want to send our
children away to boarding school, but they have no knowledge of the French
language. Can we use the allowance so that they can learn French?
A: Yes, foreign language instruction is an allowable
Supplementary Instruction expense if competency in the language is necessary
for the child to attend the school at post or progress in the curriculum. (See
DSSR 276.9b.)
13. Q:
Throughout our careers, my spouse or domestic partner and I have been assigned
to countries where French is widely spoken, and our daughter, a 5th grader,
would benefit greatly by attending a French-language school. There is an
adequate English-language school at post, but we would like our daughter to go
to the French school. Her French is not proficient enough for her to enter the
5th grade at this school. Can we use the Supplementary Instruction allowance so
that she can enter school at the proper grade?
A: DSSR 276.9 b. permits reimbursement for Supplementary
Instruction when the child's school at post offers its curriculum in a foreign
language which the child does not know well enough for progress in the
curriculum.
14. Q: My family left post three
months ago on authorized departure ("evacuation"). While we were in
the United States , my son attended a public high school that did not offer all
the courses that his high school at post offers. When we returned, the school
told us that he would require additional class time to complete the school
year. Can I use the Supplementary Instruction allowance for his additional
instruction?
A: Yes. If your son's school administrators have determined
that he requires additional instruction to successfully complete the school
year, Supplementary Instruction may be authorized. (See DSSR 276.9d.)
15. Q: My daughter was part of the
Gifted and Talented (GT) program at her school in the United States. When we
arrived at post, we found out that no such program existed at the school
she attends at post. Can we use Supplementary Instruction funds to provide GT
program instruction?
A: You can use Supplementary Instruction funds for GT
instruction if the child's school does not offer GT instruction if you
meet the following conditions (See DSSR 276.9e):
(1) The program must be a GT program
in an academic subject. Academic subjects include math, science, English,
foreign languages, and social studies. Physical education and the arts are not
included.
(2) The parent provides
documentation that the child is eligible for a Gifted and Talented (GT) or
equivalent program.
16. Q: How do I provide
documentation that my child belongs in a Gifted and Talented (GT) or equivalent
program? Also, is there an "expiration date" on GT status?
A: You must provide one of the following (See DSSR 276.9e):
(1) a letter from the child's
previous school stating that the child qualified for and participated in such a
program;
(2) a letter from the child's
current school stating that the child is qualified for a GT program which the
school cannot provide; or
(3) the child has taken a
standardized GT test and the results show the child is eligible to participate
in such a program. Costs associated with taking the GT test are the
responsibility of the employee. The Office of Overseas Schools
within the Department of State can provide more information about qualifying
for Gifted and Talented Programs, including testing alternatives if the
employee decides to have testing done.
There is no "expiration date" on GT status. In most cases the
student has been assessed and has qualified and participated in a school's GT
program. A child's assessment results are not going to change
significantly from one school year to the next. That is why there is not
a need for additional testing or a renewal of the GT status. This is the
process that public schools in the U.S. follow (no need for annual assessments
to remain in the GT program). However, the employee should maintain a
copy of the applicable document to present when applying for Supplementary
Instruction in future years.
17. Q: I want my Gifted and
Talented child to appreciate the arts. Can I use the Supplementary Instruction
allowance to pay for music appreciation classes?
A: No. The program must be a GT or equivalent program in an
academic subject, as academic subjects are generally the focus of GT programs
in U.S public schools. Academic subjects include math, science, foreign
languages, and social studies. Physical education and the arts are not
included.
18a. Q: Is reimbursement for Supplementary
Instruction allowed while on home leave, renewal agreement travel or
R&R?
A: Reimbursement
for Supplementary Instruction is not allowed while on home leave, renewal
agreement travel or R&R. See FAQ 18b
when evacuated from a post.
Supplementary Instruction is allowed at the foreign post of
assignment during the regular school year to supplement the education received
at the school at post for reasons DSSR 276.9a. through e..
Effective
6/19/2022 DSSR 274.12a was amended to allow Supplementary Instruction at the
foreign post of assignment during the break between school years: “When
necessary as a form of prevention, intervention, or remediation due to
deficiencies in academic performance and documented by the school at post,
Supplementary Instruction may be reimbursed for only a required course or
required courses during the break between school years for DSSR 276.9b, c, and
d.” The total amount allowed for Supplementary Instruction during the school
year and during the break between school years cannot exceed the amount in DSSR
274.12a. Example: if Supplementary Instruction is $4100 and
$3500 was used during the school year $600 would be the maximum allowed between
school years.
18b.
Q: Is reimbursement for Supplementary
Instruction allowed while evacuated from a post?
A:
If a child was approved for and using Supplementary
Instruction at the foreign post prior to evacuation it may continue and be
reimbursed only if with the same instructor/instruction started at the foreign
post prior to evacuation and only through the end of the current school year
unless the provision at DSSR 274.12a pertains:
“When necessary as a form of prevention, intervention, or remediation
due to deficiencies in academic performance and documented by the school at
post, Supplementary Instruction may be reimbursed for only a required course or
required courses during the break between school years for DSSR 276.9b, c, and
d.” The total amount allowed for Supplementary Instruction during the
school year and during the break between school years cannot exceed the amount
in DSSR 274.12a. Example: if Supplementary Instruction is
$4100 and $3500 was used during the school year $600 would be the maximum allowed
between school years.
19. Q: Can I use funds
for Supplementary Instruction (DSSR 274.12a and 276.9) to help offset
COVID-19 learning challenges?
A: Yes, you can use the funds for Supplementary
Instruction to help offset COVID-19 learning challenges in addition to the
At-Post Education Allowance, provided
the use meets the criteria and intent of DSSR 276.9 (where applicable a.
through e.). Following
the Global Authorized Departure (G/AD) due to COVID-19, under DSSR 276.9(d) all
at-post students qualify, with a written recommendation from the school (such
as the teacher, school counselor, or principal) on school letterhead, to use
Supplementary Instruction for a private instructor hired to supplement virtual
“at-post school” learning.
Supplementary
Instruction per DSSR 274.12a (as of June 2022 up to $4100 per school year) may
be authorized in addition to the DSSR 920 or DSSR 274.12c ‘at-post’ education
allowance maximum for the purpose of lessening the burden families are facing
when dependent children are enrolled in at-post schools that have moved to
temporary virtual or hybrid education environments. Funds may
be used to pay for a child to receive additional
instruction to enhance at-post hybrid learning and enable a child to
successfully complete an academic course to progress to the next level in the
sequence of courses. See DSSR
274.12a and DSSR 276.9 for specific uses of the allowance. For additional
details, please see 21 STATE 119332 or email AllowancesO@state.gov.
Effective 6/19/2022 DSSR 274.12a was
amended. to allow reimbursement for Supplementary Instruction during the break
between school years:
“When necessary as a form of prevention, intervention, or remediation due to
deficiencies in academic performance and documented by the school at post,
Supplementary Instruction may be reimbursed for only a required course or
required courses during the break between school years for DSSR 276.9b, c, and
d.”
Last updated 6/16/2022
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