Get down to basics
The things that keep us on our toes...SPED, CAF and so much more
Fun stuff
100
How old does a child have to be to be eligible for Education Grant and when does the EG entitlement cease?
5
Formal schooling is deemed to begin when the child is five years of age or older at the beginning of the school year or when the child reaches the age of five within three months of the beginning of the school year.
Exceptionally, a lower minimum eligibility age could be accepted for those children attending educational institutions in countries where an earlier start of formal education is a mandatory legal requirement in the country where the dependent child attends the educational institution. e.g. Panama
The grant is payable up to the day on which the child ceases full-time attendance at an educational institution or up to the end of the school year in which the child completes the fourth year of post-secondary studies or attains a first post-secondary degree, whichever comes first, subject to the upper age limit of 25 years.
100
What does SPED stand for and what are the dates of entitlement?
SPECIAL EDUCATION GRANT FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITY (SPED)
The education grant is payable up to the end of the year in which the child reaches the age of 25, but it may exceptionally be payable until the child reaches the age of 28.
Payment with respect to special teaching and training may in accordance with Staff Regulations can start before the child's fifth birthday.
Under SPED some additional costs are also reimbursable in addition to the standard acceptable costs of the regular EG like:
Lunches
Transport
Books
Boarding (Flat rate) at Post Secondary level
100
How many EGs a month do we process in the summer months?
1. 100-200
2. 300- 500
3. >500
> 500
200
What educations costs are "Acceptable"?
(i) tuition and fees for courses, including optional courses, which are certified by the school to be part of its regular programme and the cost of which is included in the school bill;
(ii) non-refundable registration or enrolment-related fees, such as costs of entrance medical and/or scholastic examinations, or other school fees and insurance premiums, the payment of which is a condition of entrance;
(iii) fees for mother tongue tuition, including registration and enrollment fees, may be payable for the mother tongue of the staff member or the spouse, provided that the staff member serves in a country whose language is different from his/her mother tongue. Fees shall only be payable for tuition given by a qualified institution or teacher certified in the language of instruction who is not a member of the staff member’s family.
(iv) Capital Assessment Fees (we have a whole section on this)
Costs not reimbursed- Lunches, Transport, extra curricular activities
In addition a Flat sum for Boarding is applicable at Primary and Secondary level (if the child is studying away from the staff's DS)
Unless....the child has special education status, in which boarding is applicable even at post secondary level.
Online schooling:
The Staff Rule is very restrictive regarding online courses and they can only be accepted if incurred “as a result of expatriation or change of duty station".
Since the pandemic, we have had several cases where children studied online and this has been acceptable.
200
The Capital Assessment Fees (CAF) is also treated similar to any other admissible cost.
True or False
False
A CAF is a non-refundable fee which may be charged by educational institutions to cover costs in connection with campus construction, on-going facilities maintenance and improvement, equipment, investments in technology and physical infrastructure, establishment of facilities replacement funds and other long-term projects that fall outside the scope of annual operating budget.
A CAF is reimbursed in addition to admissible fees at 100% in the cases of one-time, non-refundable mandatory fees paid upon enrolment for the first time as a new student. The CAF may be reimbursed in one payment or yearly, in case of recurring payments, as established by the school.
A staff member can also request an additional CAF in the same school year and the same may be reimbursed for the same scholastic cycle in circumstances that are beyond the staff member’s control, such as:
a. where a mid-year change in school location takes place due to a staff member’s appointment or reassignment;
b. where a change in school level, i.e. from primary to secondary level, takes place in the same or another location.
200
What is our SLA to approve claims?
1. One month
2. Three months
3. We don't have an SLA
Three months
300
The new EG policy states that all education expenses are reimbursed:
1. @85%.
2. @60%
3. using a sliding scale that many may find hard to understand initially
3
Acceptable costs are reimbursed under a sliding scale consisting of seven brackets, with declining reimbursement levels set in United States dollars.
Education Grant: sliding reimbursement scale
300
If a child received a grant/scholarship what do we do?
1. Proportionally deduct the amount from the admissible expenses.
2. Deduct the full amount from admissible expenses.
3. Send our congratulations
2 and 3
In calculating the education grant, the Programme takes into account any scholarship or similar grant awarded the child , as well as any related reimbursement made under the Programme's medical insurance plans. Grants awarded or medical expenses reimbursed will be deducted from the total educational expenses incurred for the child which are recognized by the Programme and which may include such items as cost of journeys between the duty station and the school not made at the Programme's expense.
400
What happens when the child does not attend the full school year?
1. We pro rate the grant according to attendance
2. We pro rate the grant only if the child has attended less than 2/3 of the school year
3. We do not pro rate
2
PRORATION OF AMOUNT OF THE EDUCATION GRANT
For children who have attended an educational institute for less than two-thirds of the school year the amount of the education grant, including the lump sum of USD 5,000 for boarding expenses when applicable, is prorated according to the period of attendance.
In case of death of a staff member, no prorating shall be required when the staff member dies while in service after the beginning of the school year (see Manual Section II.12.8.3(d)(iii)).