Education Allowances

Female teacher helping female student

Mexican dance.

Tuition and certain other expenses to defray the education costs are approved by the NDSP Area Program managers for the eligible dependents of DoD personnel who must attend a non-DoD school.  Sponsors MUST obtain approval for tuition and other expenses from the appropriate DoDEA Area office prior to incurring any expense. The amount of financial assistance which may be offered is defined by the Department of State in the Department of State Standardized Regulations (DSSR) which is published by the Department of State Office of Allowances.

The education allowance rate established by the Department of State Office of Allowances is primarily a result of the fees charged by the Office of Overseas Schools designated base school.  The amount of financial assistance which may be offered is defined by the DSSR 920 "Table of Allowances" by location, by grade (K-12). The education allowace rate may be modified by the submission of a DS-63 application survey and supporting documentation by the local NDSP liaison or Embassy finance officer to the Office of Allowances. 

In addition to the annual DSSR Education Allowance, eligible dependents are authorized funding for mandatory One-Time Fees.  A one-time fee is defined as:

  • Registration, matriculation, application, enrollment, building fund, capital fund fees or similar fees by a different name if shown on the school’s fee schedule and charged upon initial registration and entrance to their school but not charged for subsequent years of re-enrollment.

One-Time Fees are funded in accordance with the DSSR. Reimbursement of one-time fees is limited to an amount not to exceed the cost of all one time fees charged by the Office of Overseas Schools designated base school.

  • Exceptions:
    • The school attended does not offer the next grade (e.g., elementary to middle school, middle to high school);
    • The school attended does not offer the appropriate program;
    • The school attended is not the base school and charges less than the base school. 
      • Should a sponsor wish to transfer their child to another non-base school, the program can pay only the difference between what the base school charges and what has already been paid.  The sponsor will incur any difference between that amount and the full cost of the new school.

Sponsors may request approval for and funding of certain additional expenses, in writing and PRIOR to costs being incurred for:

  • Special Education and Related Expenses Required by Child’s Individual Education Plan (IEP)
  • Reasonable and Economical Public or Private Commuter Transportation (other than that provided by the school or embassy)
  • Extracurricular Instruction in a Foreign Language
    • When such study began in the U.S. and the DoDEA approving authority considers it essential to maintain foreign language proficiency, or
    • the language is the language of the host nation
  • Supplemental Instruction/Tutoring for Remedial or Basic Skills

Please see topic specific pages for more information on Special Education and Supplemental Instruction criteria and funding