13 FAM 800
Academic degree training
13 fAM 801
Academic degree training
13 FAM 801.1
ACADEMIC DEGREE TRAINING
(CT:TPD-1; 09-18-2019)
(Office of Origin: FSI)
13 FAM 801.1-1 PURPOSE AND SCOPE
(CT:TPD-1; 09-18-2019)
(State Only)
(Applies to Foreign Service and Civil Service Employees)
a. The purpose of this document is to set forth the
policies regarding academic degree training programs in the Department of
State.
b. These policies apply to academic degree training
programs sponsored and funded by the Department. They are not applicable to
programs sponsored or funded by other agencies or organizations for which the
Department is provided spaces tuition-free (e.g., long-term training
opportunities at the War Colleges, National Defense Intelligence College, the
Princeton Program).
13 FAM 801.1-2 AUTHORITY
(CT:TPD-1; 09-18-2019)
(State Only)
(Applies to Foreign Service and Civil Service Employees)
a. Section 1331 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (Public
Law 107-296), codified at 5 U.S.C. 4107, gives agencies authority to select and
assign an employee to academic degree training and pay or reimburse the costs
of academic degree training from appropriated or other available funds if such
training meets requirements described in 5 U.S.C. 4107(a).
b. It is the policy of the Department to encourage the
development and implementation of academic degree training programs when they
meet the criteria established in 5 U.S.C. 4107, benefit the agency, and funds
are available.
c. All academic degree training programs established
in the Department of State shall be subject to the availability of funds and
there is no guarantee that funds will be available to enable employees to
complete their degree programs.
13 FAM 801.1-3 academic degree training
defined
(CT:TPD-1; 09-18-2019)
(State Only)
(Applies to Foreign Service and Civil Service Employees)
Academic degree training is defined as a course of
instruction at an accredited college or university that leads to an Associate, Bachelor,
or Masters Degree. The college or university must be accredited by a
regional, national or international accrediting organization recognized by the
U.S. Department of Education.
13 FAM 801.1-4 CRITERIA FOR
ESTABLISHING ACADEMIC DEGREE TRAINING PROGRAMS IN THE DEPARTMENT
(CT:TPD-1; 09-18-2019)
(State Only)
(Applies to Foreign Service and Civil Service Employees)
a. In addition to the requirement that agencies provide
employees effective education and training to improve organizational and individual
performance (5 U.S.C. 7201(b)), academic degree training must be part of a
planned, systemic and coordinated agency employee development program and must
be linked to at least one of the following criteria:
(1) Accomplishing goals in the Departments strategic
plan;
(2) Meeting an identified agency training need; or
(3) Resolving an identified agency staffing problem.
b. Bureaus that want to implement academic degree
training programs must submit an application for each program to the Executive
Director, FSI/EX (see 13 FAH-1 Exhibit
H-872). All applications must be approved in writing by the Director of
the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) prior to program implementation. Funding
and implementation of academic degree training programs is at the discretion of
each bureau.
13 FAM 801.1-5 ELIGIBILITY
(CT:TPD-1; 09-18-2019)
(State Only)
(Applies to Foreign Service and Civil Service Employees)
a. Department full-time, permanent, Civil Service
employees (as defined in 5 U.S.C. 4101(2)) and Foreign Service generalist and
Foreign Service specialist employees are eligible to participate in academic
degree training.
b. Those employees seeking to qualify for appointment
to any position excepted from the competitive service because of its confidential,
policy-determining, policy-making, or policy advocating nature (i.e., Schedule
C appointments) or a noncareer appointment in the Senior Foreign Service or
Senior Executive Service are not eligible to participate in academic degree
training.
13 FAM 801.1-6 FUNDING
(CT:TPD-1; 09-18-2019)
(State Only)
(Applies to Foreign Service and Civil Service Employees)
a. No central funding is available in the Department,
so bureaus must fund all academic degree training programs. Eligible expenses
include tuition, books, materials and mandatory fees as well as mileage,
parking or travel and per diem. Bureaus are responsible for including funding
requirements in their budget submissions.
b. Bureaus may establish limits on the amount an
individual may receive for academic degree training. They may also establish
limits on tuition, books, and fee payments per course, academic term or year.
c. Bureaus may also terminate an academic degree
training program at any time due to the lack of funds.
d. The employee is responsible for the payment of
Federal, State and local taxes in accordance with applicable laws and
regulations. No Department funding is available for this purpose. The
employee should become cognizant of relevant tax law each year as laws and
regulations change frequently.
13 FAM 801.1-7 MINIMUM COURSE
LOADS AND GRADE POINT AVERAGE (GPA) REQUIREMENTS
(CT:TPD-1; 09-18-2019)
(State Only)
(Applies to Foreign Service and Civil Service Employees)
a. Bureaus may permit employees to attend academic
degree training programs on a full-time or part-time basis. Employees may
attend training during duty or nonduty hours.
b. Employees attending academic degree training during
nonduty hours (e.g., evenings or weekends) will not receive overtime,
differential, holiday pay, or compensatory time for the hours they are in class
or for time spent traveling to and from class.
c. Employees who are attending full-time academic
degree programs must enroll in and successfully complete at least 12 semester
hours (or equivalent) of training per semester (fall and spring) and, if
desired, 6 semester hours (or equivalent) per summer session.
d. Employees who are attending academic degree programs
on a part-time basis, must enroll in and successfully complete at least 6
semester hours (or equivalent) of training per semester (fall and spring) and,
if desired, 3 semester hours (or equivalent) per summer session.
e. Employees seeking an undergraduate degree must
maintain a GPA of at least 2.5 (C+) on a 4.0 scale each semester or term.
Employees seeking a graduate degree must maintain a grade point average (GPA)
of at least 3.0 (B) on a 4.0 scale each semester or term.
13 FAM 801.1-8 REMOVAL FROM THE
PROGRAM
(CT:TPD-1; 09-18-2019)
(State Only)
(Applies to Foreign Service and Civil Service Employees)
If an employee does not enroll in, and successfully
complete, the minimum course hours or maintain the minimum GPA stated above,
the employee will be removed from the program. They may continue to pursue a
degree at their own expense and on their own time.