Overseas education fees and expenses

What's it for?

If you are serving overseas in an area where there is no access to Defence Children Services school provision and no suitable local school, you can claim for tuition and items which are provided free of charge to parents in State schools in England

What do I get?

• School fees including normal tuition fees (including non-refundable registration and enrolment fees) and any other compulsory charges.

• Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) support (including speech and language assessments and therapy) where it is included within school fees and where the MOD assessment of supportability overseas identifies that local SEND provision meets the need of the child and local Commands/Commanders have agreed to fund such provision.

• Field study trips /residential educational courses. The cost of field study

  and residential educational courses, but not the board and lodging charges, should

  be refunded if it is required as part of a syllabus for a prescribed public examination.

  Activities relating to the Community Action Service element of the International

  Baccalaureate do sometimes attract a charge as well.

• Language tuition fees for children who attend non-English speaking schools overseas, only when such tuition is considered essential and not exceeding 130 hours in total.

• Essential books and stationery as required by the school authorities and normally provided free of charge in England’s State schools.

• Technology as long as a device (laptop, tablet etc) does not become the property of the parent/child at any time during the posting.

• Transport can be refunded only when no Service provision can be made and the transport is confined to the cheapest method appropriate to the area and circumstances. Where use of a private car is authorised, the appropriate lower rate of motor mileage allowance may be claimed for 2 return journeys to and from school daily. If the school provides transport, the cost may be reimbursed up to the equivalent of motor mileage allowance.

How do I apply/claim?

For requests for SEND support, Language tuition fees and catch up lessons, please contact the Overseas Education and Supportability Team (OEST) at RC-DCS-HQ-OES@mod.gov.uk and they will be able to advise you.

All other expense requests should be submitted through your Chain of Command.

If you have any questions you can email the Directorate Children and Young People on : RC-DCS-HQ-OES@mod.gov.uk