Overseas Education Allowance

The Overseas Education Allowance assists officers in educating their children in the United Kingdom or in their country of origin. Officers may claim Overseas Education Allowance, except:

• officers on Model Scale 1;
  
• officers on temporary terms of employment; and
  
• officers who were offered appointment on or after 1 August 1996.
  

An eligible officer may claim the Allowance at any one time for up to four dependent children provided that he is not in receipt of similar benefits under his spouse's terms of employment.

Eligible children should attend full-time education in countries for which the allowance has been approved. The schools they are attending have to be of an acceptable standard.

In general, an officer may claim the Allowance from the beginning of the term in which his children reach the age of 9 up to the end of the term in which they become 19.

An officer may claim the Boarding School Allowance for his children who are full time boarders of boarding schools. The allowance is payable to cover up to 90% of the actual boarding school fee (inclusive of tuition and boarding fees) subject to the rate ceilings set for individual countries. If the children are attending day schools and the spouse of the officer is not in the country to look after the children, the officer may claim Day School Allowance.