Tools

Education Allowance Estimator

Effortlessly navigate the complexities of the Foreign Service Education Allowance with our powerful and user-friendly calculator. Designed for FS families, this free tool allows you to instantly estimate your total K-12 education allowance by adding multiple children and selecting their specific grade and schooling type (At-Post, Away-from-Post, or Home Study). Go beyond a simple estimate by using the unique comparison feature to see how your allowance would change between different posts, helping you make more informed bidding and financial planning decisions based on the latest DSSR rates.
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About this tool

How the Education Allowance Estimator works

This estimator shows the education allowance for each child at a post, then lets you compare other posts side by side. Choose a post, add your children by grade and school type, and the family total updates as you go. It's useful when you're deciding which posts to bid on.

What you enter

  • Your primary post.
  • Each child's grade, from kindergarten through grade 12.
  • The type of allowance for each child: at post, away from post, or home study.
  • Other posts to compare, once you've added a child.

What you get

A total for your family at the primary post, and the same family priced at each post you add. Away from post is the allowance used when no adequate school exists at the post. Home study costs are reimbursed up to the at-post maximum.

Where the numbers come from

  • The State Department's education allowance rates by post and grade, as listed in the Standardized Regulations.
  • A "Most recent update" date in the tool shows when the rates were last refreshed.
  • The rules on what's covered are in DSSR 270.

What it leaves out

The allowance covers required tuition, fees, books and school transportation, up to the post's maximum rate. It doesn't cover school lunches or extracurriculars, and costs above the maximum are yours. Department of Defense personnel fall under a separate education benefits authority. Educational travel is a separate benefit (DSSR 284).

Common questions

What's the difference between at post and away from post?

At post is for a school at your post. Away from post is for a student who has to attend school elsewhere because no adequate school exists locally, as with boarding school.

Does it cover boarding school?

Away from post is the allowance for that situation, and the tool prices it for the post you choose. Some posts have a higher rate away from post than at post, so compare both.

Is this the same as educational travel?

No. Educational travel is one round-trip flight each year between a student's school and your post. For grades 9 to 12 it can be used instead of the education allowance, but not at the same time.

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