FAQ – Education Grant Travel (EGT)

See also FAQ on Education Grant.

Q: Am I eligible for Education Grant Travel (EGT)?
A: A staff member is eligible for EGT if all the following conditions are met:

• Holds a fixed-term, continuing or permanent appointment
• Is eligible for Education Grant
• The child is in receipt of boarding assistance
• The staff member is serving at a field duty station
• The child is at primary or secondary school level at an educational institution outside the country of the staff member's duty station

 Please note that EGT should be undertaken during the academic year, within 3 months of the beginning or end of the academic year.

Q: How do I apply for EGT?

A: Please apply for Education Grant Travel in UNall (Note for agencies not using UNall please complete the paper form: EGT request and send via email to your HR focal point in GSSU HR).

 Q: My child is not receiving board, is he/she entitled to Education Grant Travel?
A: No, for school year in effect 1 January 2018 and onwards, Education Grant Travel is only applicable for children in receipt of boarding assistance. This means Education Grant Travel does not apply to staff located at HQ duty stations and children at post-secondary educational level.

Q: How is the payment of Education Grant Travel determined?
A: The lumpsum is based on a comparison and the lower fare of the two itineraries: 1) the duty station to/from the place of school and return, and 2) the duty station to/from the place of Home Leave and return. The lumpsum is based on 75% of the full economy fare or 75% of the full economy child fare if the child is below 12 years old. For non-family duty stations, see below.

Q: I have two children in the same educational institution, can I have Education Grant Travel to visit them both on different times?
A: Yes, a staff member may travel instead of the child(ren) to visit at the place of study or elsewhere. This is called Reverse Education Grant Travel. When a staff member has 2 or more children entitled to Education Grant Travel, two parents can undertake Education Grant Travel, together or separately or one parent can undertake multiple travels. The maximum number of travels allowed for parents and eligible children combined cannot exceed the number of eligible children in the family. A 3-month interval is required between the travels.

Q: Does Education Grant Travel apply to children with special Education Grant at post-secondary level?
A: In cases of special Education Grant, the staff member is entitled to board- including at post-secondary level. Therefore, if the child is in receipt of boarding assistance (privately or at the school) then the staff member is entitled to Education Grant Travel.

In addition, when the needs of a child with a disability require that the child attend an educational institution outside the duty station or beyond commuting distance from the duty station, notwithstanding national borders, travel expenses can be paid for up to two round trips per school year between the educational institution and the duty station.

In exceptional circumstances, travel expenses may also be reimbursed for one person accompanying the child with a disability who cannot travel alone owing to the disability.

 
Q: Can a staff member request an Education Grant Travel retroactively?
A: It should be emphasized that a request for Education Grant Travel should be completed and submitted at least 3 months prior to travel. However, there may be reasons for submitting a request late. If so, a staff member has 1 year to claim an entitlement. For retroactive applications, staff member must submit a F10 claim form with proof of travel. The payment will be based on the comparison between the actual costs (F10 claim) and A travel quotation from duty station -> place of home leave -> duty station. The lower of the amounts will be reimbursed. Please note that EGT should be undertaken during the academic year, within 3 months of the beginning or end of the academic year.

Q: Are staff members eligible for Education Grant Travel when there is no education grant paid in the same school year?  For example, if child attends public school or staff member has not submitted any education grant claim/advance?
A: Yes, Education grant travel is payable when staff member is eligible for Education Grant and staff member is not obliged to submit an education grant claim/advance to be entitled to Education Grant Travel. A school certificate certifying that the child is in full time studies duly signed/stamped by the institution will suffice in this case.

Q: Can a staff member submit requests for both Home Leave and Education Grant Travels within the same year?
A: Yes, a child would be entitled to Home Leave travel when they have been travelled to the duty station. While a staff member could be eligible to both entitlement travels, the requirement of three-month interval between travel does make it more difficult in practice, although, the Home leave guidelines does allow for a reduction of the interval to allow Education Grant Travel to take place in the same year as Home Leave travel (if eligible).

For example, a child would receive an Education Grant Travel once per scholastic year to travel from the duty station to place of study in September, with a return at the end of the school year in June the following year. Ideally, he or she would need an interval of 3 months to be eligible for Home Leave travel.  However, flexibility may be exercised on the interval.

Q: Child attends two educational institutions during a single academic year, one at the duty station and the other away from the duty station, am I eligible for Education Grant Travel?
A: When a child attends two educational institutions during a single academic year, one at the duty station and the other away from the duty station, education grant travel may be authorized if the child’s attendance at the educational institution away from the duty station is for a period of at least one term or semester. 

Q: How is Education Grant Travel paid?
A: Effective 12 March 2018, EGT will no longer be paid via voucher payment, but via payroll according to the salary distribution. As a result, and to ensure requests are processed timely, we encourage staff members to submit Education Grant Travel requests 2 months prior to travel.
Tip: if you want a specific amount in an account, we recommend requesting salary distribution with a fixed amount. For example, if you have specified that USD 5,000 should be paid to bank 1 and the remaining amount should go into bank 2. Then, any amount that is paid beyond salary will go into bank 2 or vice versa. This way you can control which bank additional payments should go into. The additional amount could be payment of education grant, education grant travel, etc.

Q: Is a staff member serving at a non-family duty station eligible for Education Grant Travel?
A: Yes, however, please note that Education Grant Travel cannot be authorised to/from a non-family station. The travel cost will be based on the lower of the following costs:

• from the staff member's officially recognised Home Leave place to the child's educational institution and return; or
  
• from the educational institution to an alternate place where Education Grant Travel is exercised and return.
  

Q: Can I travel instead of my child?
A: Yes, this is called reverse Education Grant Travel. A staff member or his/her spouse may exercise Education Grant Travel instead of a child. However, UNDP will only cover the amount that would have been paid for the child's round trip and any additional expenses must be borne for the staff member. Also, the number of days spent on reverse Education Grant Travel must be charged to annual leave and approved by the staff member's supervisor. When submitting a leave request in eServices, SM should enter 'EG Travel" in the comment field.

 
Q: Is there a minimum length of stay on Education Grant Travel?
A: The child (staff member or spouse) is expected to spend no less than 7 days in the place where Education Grant Travel is exercised.

Q: My child didn't travel as planned, how can I cancel an Education Grant Travel request?
A: Please contact your GSSU/BES HR focal point and the payment will be deducted from the next payroll. 

Q: Can I travel by car on Education Grant Travel? 
A: The lumpsum is normally based on a flight ticket. However, if you choose to travel by car, the lumpsum will be based on 20% of the quotation fare provided by  UNDP Travel Services Section.  

Q: Instead of receiving a lumpsum, is it possible for the organisation to provide me or my child with a travel ticket?
A: This is called organisation assisted travel. It is possible, but it is not recommended for EGT for the following reasons:

1) Education Grant Travel is always based on a comparison between Home Leave travel itinerary (duty station to place of home leave and return) and Education Grant travel itinerary (place of school to duty station and return). The lumpsum is based on the lower of the two fares. If the actual travel is the higher fare, and the organisation has to provide these tickets, then you have to pay the difference between the lower and the higher fare. 

2) in addition, if you are taking reverse Education Grant Travel (travelling yourself) the ticket is based on the child fare. If the organisation is to provide you with an actual ticket, you will have to pay yourself the difference between an adult and a child fare.

Q. What if I change school mid-year from a field duty station to an HQ duty station. Would my child be eligible for EGT?

A. Staff in HQ duty stations are not eligible for EGT. However, there are certain situations where it may be applicable:

a) If you and your family have relocated mid school-year to a HQ duty station then your child is not eligible for EGT

b) If you have relocated mid school-year to a HQ duty station, but your child has not relocated with you because the child would need to finalize that school year before joining you in the HQ duty-station, then the child would be eligible for EGT.

c) If you have not yet relocated to the HQ duty station, then the child is eligible for EGT.

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