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FSD 35 - Education Travel

Scope

Introduction

This directive enables an employee to claim an allowance for travelling expenses for a dependent student where neither FSD 15 - Relocation nor FSD 51 - Family Reunion applies. It is not designed to supplement the provisions of these directives but to provide assistance for the payment of travelling expenses, which are normally incurred at the commencement and termination of an employee's assignment to a post, in sending a dependent student to an approved educational institution.

Issue and verification procedures are found in FSD 70 – Allowances and Reporting Requirements

Directive

35.1 Application

35.1.1 The allowance for travelling expenses payable pursuant to this directive shall be computed on the basis of the most suitable form of transportation as determined by the deputy head.

35.1.2 The standard for air travel is economy class and this includes APEX, charters and other reduced fares. The lowest available airfare appropriate to a particular itinerary shall be sought when making bookings.

35.2 Elementary and Secondary Level

35.2.1 Where education allowances are being paid or will be paid pursuant to sections 34.3, 34.4 and/or 34.5 of FSD 34 – Education Allowances, the deputy head may authorize payment of an allowance for the actual and reasonable travelling expenses incurred by an employee in sending a dependent child or a dependent student to an elementary or secondary school that has been approved by the deputy head pursuant to section 34.1 of FSD 34 – Education Allowances. Payment of an allowance for the actual and reasonable travelling expenses may be approved:

  1. from the employee's place of duty, where the dependent child has been residing with the employee at the post; or
  2. from the employee's post, where relocation expenses on behalf of the dependent student have been authorized pursuant to section 15.29 of FSD 15 - Relocation; or
  3. after notification in writing of an impending assignment to a post, from the employee's former place of duty in Canada, where the dependent student is not going to take up residence with the employee at the post but will be going directly from the former place of duty to the approved school; or
  4. after notification in writing of an impending cross-posting, from the employee's former post, where the dependent student is not going to take up residence with the employee at the new post but will be going directly from the former post to the approved school; or
  5. after notification in writing of an impending cross-posting, from the previously approved school, where the dependent student has been and will continue to be educated elsewhere than at the employee's post.

35.2.2 Where a dependent student is being educated away from the post but not in Canada, the allowance for travelling expenses authorized, shall be limited to the cost of the travelling expenses between the post and the employee's headquarters city.

35.2.3 Where an allowance for travelling expenses has been authorized pursuant to subsection 35.2.1 or 35.2.2, the deputy head may also authorize payment of an allowance for actual and reasonable travelling expenses incurred by an employee in sending a dependent student from the approved school to the employee's place of duty in Canada, on the employee's return to duty in Canada, or, at the discretion of the deputy head, in advance of the employee's return to duty in Canada.

35.3 Postsecondary Level

35.3.1 Where postsecondary shelter assistance is or will be paid pursuant to section 34.6 of FSD 34 – Education Allowances, the deputy head may authorize an allowance for payment of the travelling expenses incurred by an employee in sending a dependent student:

  1. from the employee's post to a postsecondary educational institution in Canada, where the student has been residing with the employee;
  2. from the employee's post to a postsecondary educational institution in Canada and return where a pre-enrollment examination or interview is mandatory at the educational institution;
  3. from a secondary school, outside Canada at a location other than the employee's post, where an education allowance has been authorized pursuant to section 34.5 of FSD 34 – Education Allowances, to a postsecondary educational institution in Canada;
  4. from the employee's post, where relocation expenses on behalf of the dependent student have been authorized pursuant to section 15.29 of FSD 15 - Relocation, to a postsecondary educational institution in Canada;
  5. from a secondary school in Canada, where an education allowance has been authorized pursuant to section 34.4 of FSD 34 - Education Allowances, to a postsecondary educational institution in Canada.

35.3.2 Where the postsecondary educational institution is in the employee’s headquarters city or last place of duty, the allowance for travelling expenses authorized for the dependent student shall be the cost of travel between the location of the dependent student as specified in subsection 35.3.1 and the location of the postsecondary educational institution in the employee’s headquarters city or last place of duty in Canada.

35.3.3 Where postsecondary shelter assistance will not be paid pursuant to section 34.6 of FSD 34 - Education Allowances because the postsecondary educational institution is not in the employee's headquarters city or last place of duty in Canada, the allowance for travelling expenses shall be the cost of travel between the location of the dependent student as specified in subsection 35.3.1 and the location of the postsecondary educational institution minus an employee's share which will be based on the cost of the travelling expenses between the employee's headquarters city or last place of duty in Canada and the location of the postsecondary educational institution.

35.4 Travel for a Person to Escort

35.4.1 The deputy head may authorize an allowance for return travelling expenses for one parent to accompany the student from the employee's post to the student's school, at the commencement of the first school year that the student is being educated away from the post, where:

  1. an education allowance is authorized for a student at an elementary or secondary school under sections 34.3, 34.4 and/or 34.5 of FSD 34 – Education Allowances; or
  2. a student graduating from a secondary school outside Canada and who is under the age of 21 at the start of the school year at a postsecondary educational institution in Canada.

35.4.2 Where travel for a parent has been authorized in accordance with paragraph 35.4.1(a) it may again be authorized under paragraph 35.4.1(b) where applicable.

35.4.3 Where a dependent student is being educated away from the post but not in Canada at the elementary or secondary levels, the allowance for travelling expenses authorized for the parent at post shall be limited to the cost of the travelling expenses between the post and the employee's headquarters city.

35.4.4 Where the postsecondary educational institution is in the employee’s headquarters city or last place of duty, the allowance for travelling expenses authorized for the parent at post shall be the cost of travel between the post and the location of the postsecondary educational institution in the employee’s headquarters city or last place of duty in Canada.

35.4.5 Where the postsecondary educational institution is not in the employee’s headquarters city or last place of duty in Canada, the allowance for travelling expenses shall be the cost of travel between the post and the location of the postsecondary educational institution minus an employee’s share which will be based on the cost of the travelling expenses between the employee's headquarters city or last place of duty in Canada and the location of the postsecondary educational institution.

35.4.6 Return travelling expenses for the parent at post will not be authorized where a legal guardian of the dependent student resides in Canada except as provided for in subsection 18.7.2 of FSD 18 - Special Family Separation Assistance.

35.5 Shipment of Personal Effects

35.5.1 Where an allowance for travelling expenses has been authorized under this directive, the deputy head may authorize an allowance for actual and reasonable costs of shipping the dependent student's personal articles provided:

  1. the weight of such articles does not exceed the appropriate weight limitation for an accompanying dependant in accordance with Appendix B of FSD 15 - Relocation, in addition to the maximum allowable weight of accompanying baggage transported free of charge by the carrier; and
  2. personal articles in excess of those transported free of charge by the carrier are transported by the most economical means.

35.5.2 Where exceptional circumstances justify an exception to the weight limitations in accordance with subsection 35.5.1, the details shall be reported to the appropriate foreign service interdepartmental coordinating committee.