Educational Expenses and Authorizations

1
Educational Expenses and Authorizations
2

• Costs Authorized
• Costs NOT Authorized
• Authorized One-Time Fees
• Special Costs

3
Costs Authorized

• School Supplies and Other Necessary Cost Items
• Annual Tuition
• New Student and/or Returning Student Fee (annual)
• Building Levy/Building Maintenance Fee (annual)
• Capital Fund/Capital Levy (annual)
• Technology/Computer Lab Fee
• Library, Science, Home Economics, Chemistry Fees
• Music, Art, Physical Education Fees
• Textbooks/Workbooks
• Advanced Placement (AP)/International
  Baccalaureate (IB) Courses and Exams
• Transportation
• Daily Commute
• Mandatory Curriculum Related Field Trips

4
Costs Authorized Field Trips

• Mandatory Curricular Field Trips - are defined by
  DoDEA as organized, school-sponsored activity
  trips for grades 6-12 (including overnight trips)
  that are a specifically required component of a
  regularly scheduled course and participation/non-p
  articipation in the activity/trip is directly
  related to the students grade for the course,
  promotion, or graduation, i.e. non-participation
  will negatively impact the students grade. The
  mandatory nature of the activity must be
  supported in writing by the principal/headmaster
  of the school.
• DoDEA will pay for transportation and entrance
  fees provided the cost, when combined with
  tuition and other reimbursed costs, does not
  exceed the annual DSSR rate. Payment of student
  per diem-related expenses involving food,
  lodging, and incidental expenses is prohibited
  and must be incurred by the sponsor.
• Athletic Trips are defined by DoDEA as school
  organized and sponsored athletic trips required
  to participate in routine team sports or
  individual athletic competition for grades 9-12.
  
• DoDEA will pay for transportation provided the
  cost, when combined with tuition and other
  reimbursed costs, does not exceed the annual DSSR
  rate. Payment of student per diem-related
  expenses involving food, lodging, and incidental
  expenses is prohibited and must be incurred by
  the sponsor.

5
Costs Authorized Field Trips (contd)

• Non-Mandatory Curricular Field Trips and
  Non-Competitive Athletic Field Trips - are
  defined by DoDEA as those taken to enhance
  general knowledge or to supplement a current
  course or topic of study. Non-participation in
  these organized, school-sponsored field trips
  does not affect the grade for the course,
  promotion, or graduation.
• DoDEA will pay surface transportation only
  provided the cost, when combined with tuition and
  other reimbursed costs, does not exceed the
  annual DSSR rate. Payment of student per
  diem-related expenses involving food, lodging,
  and incidental expenses is prohibited and must be
  incurred by the sponsor.

6
Costs NOT Authorized

• The NDSP may not provide funding for personal
  expense costs to include, but not limited to the
  following
• Clothing/Uniforms/Athletic Equipment
• Laundry
• Materials (paper, pens, markers, crayons, etc.
  normally required to be provided by parents in a
  U.S. public school)
• Meals (except when dormitory enrollment is
  authorized)
• Student Accident or Health Insurance
• Special Courses (not part of the curriculum of
  comparable tax-supported schools in U.S. with the
  exception of host-nation cultural programs)
• Private Tutoring
• School or Classroom Decorations and/or Parties
• Locker Fees
• Yearbook Fees
• Musical Instruments

7
Costs NOT Authorized (contd)

• Deposits and/or Refundable Payments
• Parent, Teacher Association (PTA/PTO) Fees
• Graduation Caps/Gown, Pictures, Banquets, Class
  Rings or Senior Class Fees
• Elective Courses (not part of the regular
  curriculum for dance, gymnastics, horseback
  riding, sports or other specialized instruction)
• Field Trips (not part of curriculum or comparable
  tax-supported school program in U.S. and when
  transportation/entrance fees exceed DSSR)
• Parent- or Student-Directed Educational Testing

8
Authorized One-Time Fees

• Registration, matriculation, application,
  enrollment, building fund, capital fund fees or
  similar fees by a different name if shown on the
  schools 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.

9
Authorized One-Time Fees (contd)

• 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.

10
Special Costs

• Sponsors may request certain additional expenses,
  in writing and PRIOR to costs being incurred
• Special Education and Related Expenses Required
  by Childs 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

11
Transportation Expenses

• Approval for the use of transportation modes
  other than that provided by either the school or
  Embassy will be made on a case-by-case basis.
• Parent must submit written request through their
  local commander stating reasons of school/embassy
  transportations inadequacy
• Reimbursement will be limited to DSSR cap and/or
  that charged for school/embassy provided
  transportation
• If sponsor requests reimbursement for
  transportation expenses after the initial
  application has been submitted, the following is
  required
• Copy of Request for Reimbursement of
  Transportation Expenses, completed and indicating
  type of transportation used and costs.
• Receipts for actual expenses (paying
  after-the-fact)
• Signature of Commander endorsing request

12
Important Notice

• The NDSP will not reimburse parents/sponsors or
  non-DoD schools for any educational expenses
  incurred without PRIOR approval from the
• NDSP Program Manager.

13
Important Notice

• DoD sponsors assigned to overseas locations are
  not authorized to obligate the U.S. Government,
  nor to contract with a private institution, etc.,
  and/or charge educational fees to NDSP
  appropriations (includes FMS, MAP, and SAO/SAAC
  funds) without obtaining PRIOR approval from the
  NDSP Program Manager. Such actions could
  constitute a violation of U.S. Government
  regulations and, if found guilty, the individual
  committing the act may be subject to a 5,000
  fine, a jail sentence, or both.

14
Additional Funding Requests

• When additional funds are required to pay for
  expenses after the initial request for funds has
  been approved and sent to the Embassy, additional
  funds can be requested
• Submit a new Funds Request Sheet (FRS)
• Use the NOTES section to be specific about the
  description of any expenses to help with the
  approval process
• Submit invoices and supporting documentation for
  expenses
• If unsure whether the expense is reimbursable or
  what is required to get reimbursement, you may
  contact the NDSP Program Manager

15
??? QUESTIONS ???