Supplemental Instructional Support

Mexican dance demonstration

Teacher assisting student

Woman tutoring young girl

Tutoring/Correspondence Course/Second Language

Supplemental instructional support may be reimbursed up to the allowable rate but must be pre-approved. In addition to the Department of State Standardized Regulations (DSSR) educational allowance for a particular location, $3,000 per school year may be authorized only for the following reasons:

  1. The approved school does not provide instruction in academic subjects generally offered by public schools in the United States for students in grades 9-12 (i.e., English, United States history, United States government, geometry, algebra) and the student will have no other opportunity to complete the courses prior to graduation.
  2. The approved school offers its curriculum in a language that the child does not know well enough in order to progress in the curriculum.
    • If the location does not have a tuition-free school with English-language based instruction, the next priority is a tuition-paying local school with English-language based instruction. If the parent elects to place the student in a local tuition-free school where the language of instruction is other than English, approval may be granted for tutoring in the other-than-English language of instruction on a case-by-case basis up to the maximum allowable rate for supplemental instructional support.
    • When there is no school with English-language based instruction and the parent must enroll the student in a local school where the language of instruction is other than English, approval may be granted for tutoring in the other-than-English language of instruction on a case-by-case basis up to the maximum allowable rate for supplemental instructional support.
    • Authorized services are based on the language proficiency and age of the child.
  3. The approved school requires additional instruction to enable the child to enter a grade or remain in the same grade in the school.
  4. The child, upon returning to post along with his/her family subsequent to an authorized/ordered evacuation, requires additional instruction to successfully complete the current school year. e. The child requires assistance in basic classes:
    • In grades K-3, the student requires compensatory/supported instruction because he/she is not progressing or performing within the normal developmental range.
    • In grades 4-12, the student is failing or in jeopardy of failing.

The sponsor and school must submit documentation in evidence of the request. This may include current grade/progress reports and narrative description of current functioning from the teacher. Additional information may be requested. Approvals are generally for a nine-week period. Requests for extended tutoring must be accompanied by a progress report for the previous period of authorized assistance.

Tutoring time is based on the age of the child and the curricular areas being addressed. Tutoring is generally authorized for one to five hours per week. Tutoring will not be authorized to assist in completing homework.

Materials required for language instruction/tutoring must also be approved in advance.