# Education Allowance - Link: https://euemployment.eu/european-commission-education-allowance/ - Published: 2025-12-29T20:12:49+01:00 - Author: Ben If you are an employee of the [European Commission](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/european-commission/) or other EU institutions and have children, you might (among other benefits) be entitled to the **[European Commission](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/european-commission/) [Education Allowance](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/education-allowance/)**. For the details, FAQs and most frequently encountered scenarios, read on. ## General rules If your child is younger than 5 or older than 5 but not yet in a primary school, he/she entitles you to a **Pre-school Allowance EUR 128,76 per month**, subject to the [Correction Coefficient](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/correction-coefficient/). If your child is older than 5 and in regular full-time attendance at fee-charging a) primary school b) secondary school, c) university or a similar educational institution, you are entitled to a **single [Education Allowance](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/education-allowance/) of EUR 357,62**, which can be doubled in some circumstances to EUR 715.24. If your child does attend a [European School](https://www.eursc.eu/en/European-Schools/mission), the [Education allowance](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/education-allowance/) can still be partially used to cover transportation costs. The **[Education Allowance](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/education-allowance/) is adjusted according to the [Correction Coefficient](https://euemployment.eu/correction-coefficient/)** at your [place of employment](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/place-of-employment/), as is your salary and all other [European Commission](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/european-commission/) [allowances](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/allowances/). ## Costs covered by the Education Allowance The [Education Allowance](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/education-allowance/) covers the below fees up to the limit of EUR 357,62: * School fees. * Registration fees. * Transport costs. The [Education Allowance](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/education-allowance/) does not cover such costs as: * Meals. * School uniforms. * Learning materials. * Extracurricular activities. If your school fees are higher than the single or double [Education Allowance](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/education-allowance/), in most cases you will have to supplement the difference from your own income, especially, if you’re in Brussels. However, some EU agencies in locations without a [European School](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/european-school/) have particular rules about reimbursement/coverage of primary and secondary education costs, and might cover monthly school fees that significantly exceed the [European Commission](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/european-commission/) [Education allowance](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/education-allowance/) limits. As an example, the EU [Fundamental Rights Agency](https://fra.europa.eu/en/about-fra/recruitment/what-we-offer/allowances-benefits-deductions) offers its staff members “Direct payment of school fees in accordance with service contracts signed between FRA and certain international schools in the Vienna area”. Similar arrangements exist in other agencies (if you know of a particular agency that offers such support, please leave it in a comment and I’ll update the article). ### Education allowance adjusted by the Correction coefficient The below table shows you the amounts of the [Education allowance](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/education-allowance/) in euros depending on the city your EU institution is located in. | Country | [Correction coefficient](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/correction-coefficient/) | [Education Allowance](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/education-allowance/) (single) | [Education Allowance](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/education-allowance/) (double) | | Ireland | 130.7 | 467.41 | 934.82 | | Denmark | 129.8 | 464.19 | 928.38 | | Sweden | 117.7 | 420.92 | 841.84 | | France | 114.2 | 408.40 | 816.80 | | Finland | 112 | 400.53 | 801.07 | | Netherlands | 111.4 | 398.39 | 796.78 | | Austria | 105.4 | 376.93 | 753.86 | | Germany | 102.2 | 365.49 | 730.98 | | **Belgium** | **100** | **357.62** | **715.24** | | Luxembourg | 100 | 357.62 | 715.24 | | Estonia | 93.4 | 334.02 | 668.03 | | Spain | 92.3 | 330.08 | 660.17 | | Portugal | 92.1 | 329.37 | 658.74 | | Malta | 91.8 | 328.30 | 656.59 | | Czechia | 91.8 | 328.30 | 656.59 | | Italy | 87.6 | 313.28 | 626.55 | | Lithuania | 86.7 | 310.06 | 620.11 | | Greece | 86 | 307.55 | 615.11 | | Slovenia | 85.9 | 307.20 | 614.39 | | Slovakia | 84.2 | 301.12 | 602.23 | | Latvia | 84.1 | 300.76 | 601.52 | | Croatia | 82.3 | 294.32 | 588.64 | | Cyprus | 79.4 | 283.95 | 567.90 | | Poland | 78.8 | 281.80 | 563.61 | | Hungary | 75.5 | 270.00 | 540.01 | | Romania | 72.1 | 257.84 | 515.69 | | Bulgaria | 64.8 | 231.74 | 463.48 | **Source**: [2025 ANNUAL UPDATE OF THE REMUNERATION AND PENSIONS OF THE OFFICIALS AND OTHER SERVANTS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION AND THE CORRECTION COEFFICIENTS](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52025XC06564&qid=1767034508683) ## When is the Education Allowance doubled? The rules state that the monthly [Education Allowance](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/education-allowance/) limit is doubled if the EU institution’s staff member lives more than 50 km from the nearest [European School](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/european-school/). This entails the assumption that 50 km is too long of a distance to travel to school every day and most likely the child would be enrolled in another school nearer to home. Alternatively, the increased allowance can be spent towards transportation expenses. This, of course, means that the [Education Allowance](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/education-allowance/) will be doubled for staff of some of the smaller agencies located in cities where there is no [European School](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/european-school/). In some places where EU institutions are located, the local [European School](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/european-school/) offers only a limited number of grades. In this case you will also receive a double [Education Allowance](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/education-allowance/) if the [grade](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/grade/) your child needs to attend is not available in the local [European School](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/european-school/). ### Double Education Allowance for most students at higher education institutions If your child attends a university, a college, an institution providing vocational training or similar, you are entitled the single [Education allowance](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/education-allowance/) if it is located less then 50 km from your [place of employment](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/place-of-employment/). It will be doubled if the educational establishment is more than  50 km from your [place of employment](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/place-of-employment/). ### Will my Education Allowance be doubled if my children remained in my home country? It is important to remember that for calculation of entitlement to the double [Education Allowance](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/education-allowance/) it is your [place of employment](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/place-of-employment/) that counts. [Place of employment](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/place-of-employment/) is the location mentioned in your contract where you are expected to perform your work and relocate to. What does this mean in practice? In case you have moved back to your home country due to the Covid pandemic, if your‘ place of employment’ has a [European School](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/european-school/), you will receive only the single [Education Allowance](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/education-allowance/). You will also receive a single [Education Allowance](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/education-allowance/) if you moved to your institution in a different city or country and there is a [European School](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/european-school/) there, but your children remained behind in your home country without a [European School](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/european-school/). Because the children would be entitled to a place in the [European School](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/european-school/) if they relocated together with you to the [place of employment](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/place-of-employment/), you may not claim to double allowance even if they live elsewhere. ## Reimbursement of transport expenses All children or employees of EU institutions are entitled to reimbursement of transport costs, irrespective if they attend a [European School](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/european-school/) or not. These costs are reimbursed as part of the [Education Allowance](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/education-allowance/) and do not increase the total reimbursed amount. Costs for one of four types of transport are reimbursed: * [European School](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/european-school/) bus. [PMO](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/paymasters-office-pmo/) will make a direct transfer to the school administration after your entitlement to the [Education Allowance](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/education-allowance/) is confirmed. * School bus * Public transport. To receive reimbursement, copy of the season/annual ticket or proof of payment from the school transport administration must be sent to [PMO](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/paymasters-office-pmo/). * Private car. Costs are reimbursed for the same value as a season/annual public transport ticket in correspondence with the length of the school year. ## Special rules about higher education students Very short-term courses are not considered higher education and do not entitle you to the [Education Allowance](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/education-allowance/). The academic/training programme must last at least 16 hours a week for a minimum of 3 consecutive months to entitle you the [Education Allowance](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/education-allowance/). Reimbursement of distance learning will be individually scrutinized by the [PMO](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/paymasters-office-pmo/) and you should expect to provide additional proofs of attendance and payment. If the university studies are for free, you can still claim the [Education Allowance](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/education-allowance/) for accommodation costs of your child such as at a boarding school or a host family. The host family may not be relatives. In all these cases you will have to prove that costs were actually incurred (a contract or an invoice, etc.). ## Educational allowance if child undertakes paid training or work Children of EU officials which are aged 18 to 26 may work part-time in parallel to studies or vocational training. The parents will continue to receive the [education allowance](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/education-allowance/) as long as their child’s part-time contract montly salary is less than 40% of the [basic salary](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/basic-salary/) of an AST1/1 with the weighting of the country in which the work is carried out. In 2025 the AST1/1 [basic salary](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/basic-salary/) is 3645.04, hence the income cannot be higher than EUR 1458.02. ## Education Allowance and divorced families If you are divorced and your children are in the custody of your former partner, you can still claim the [Education Allowance](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/education-allowance/). There is a possibility to do a direct transfer of the allowance to the other parent. In the case where the [Education Allowance](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/education-allowance/) is paid to custodian of your children, the amount of the allowance (single or double) is calculated based on the custodian’s place of residence and not your [place of employment](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/place-of-employment/). ## Education Allowance and disability of a child The rules governing entitlement of the [Education Allowance](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/education-allowance/) also mentioned that the allowance can be doubled due to ‘imperative education reasons’. This should include [disability](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/disability/) that does not allow your child to attend a [European School](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/european-school/). In case of a child with [disability](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/disability/) there is a possibility to claim a double [Education Allowance](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/education-allowance/) even if the school is closer than 50 km from your [place of employment](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/place-of-employment/). For specific details of this enquire with your EU institution’s HR department of [PMO](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/paymasters-office-pmo/) directly. Also remember that some EU institutions have established their own support measures for parents of children with [disability](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/disability/) that are more generous than the standard [European Commission](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/european-commission/) framework. Again – ask your HR department. ## Unequal treatment of pre-school children? If you are an expat and have children not yet in primary school, it might come as a shock to you that you will receive a much smaller Pre-school Allowance compared to your colleagues that have school-aged children. I have not been able to find a good explanation as to why this is the case. The best explanation I’ve heard so far is that this allowance is modelled on the Belgian and French childcare systems where creches and kindergartens are easily available for children from very small ages and the [European Commission](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/european-commission/) doesn’t see a need to support EU institutions staff who choose to enrol their children in private childcare facilities. However, this creates a major problem in most other countries where private kindergartens usually cost the same or even more than a private school. Some EU agencies have taken the steps to equalize the [Education Allowance](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/education-allowance/) for pre-school and school-aged children. There is also the option to request compensation of pre-school fees on a case by base basis to your agency’s [executive director](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/executive-director/). One should also consider putting forward a Staff Request through the [Staff Committee](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/staff-committee/) if the above policy is not in place. It might take 2 or more years, but well worth it for parents of children in pre-school. ## Payment period The [Education Allowance](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/education-allowance/) is paid until your child reaches age 26. The only reason when the [Education Allowance](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/education-allowance/) is paid after age 26 if studies have been interrupted by military service. In this case the allowance payment period is extended by the length of the military service period. This means that you are financially supported in paying for your child’s education through the bachelors and masters studies. ## **Tip for contract with a non-EU school** If the monthly rate of your child’s school is higher than the monthly [Education Allowance](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/education-allowance/)( single or double), see how frequently your school issues invoices. **If the school normally issues invoices only for the regular school months (September to May/June), ask them to instead provide you 12 invoice for each months of the year **(this will have to be reflected in the contract between you and the school that you will also have to share with [PMO](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/paymasters-office-pmo/). This is perfectly legal and accepted by the [PMO](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/paymasters-office-pmo/), and you will be able to recuperate a higher amount of your child’s annual schooling costs. ## Administrative burden to parents The administrative burden to benefit from the [Education Allowance](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/education-allowance/) is relatively mild. You have to provide an declaration form for each child to the [PMO](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/paymasters-office-pmo/) through Sysper or your institution’s HR. If your or your child’s circumstances will not change, the declaration does not have to provided every year. You will have to notify the [PMO](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/paymasters-office-pmo/) only when there is a change in the circumstances. The declaration also has to be accompanied by an [European Commission](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/european-commission/) form filled by you and signed by a school representative that your child is indeed enrolled. You also need to add either one invoice or the contract so that the [PMO](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/paymasters-office-pmo/) can calculate the monthly payment. ## Education allowance in your pay slip Code for the [Education Allowance](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/education-allowance/) in your pay slip is either ISN or ISF. ## Measures to avoid double-financing As a principle, you are expected to declare any similar funding as the [Education Allowance](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/education-allowance/) to the [PMO](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/paymasters-office-pmo/), so that the [Education Allowance](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/education-allowance/) can be deducted by the respective amount received from another source. Examples of such payments: allocations d’études, basisbeurs, student grants, state education grants, allocation de rentrée scolaire, becas de estudios, etc. It is expected by the [PMO](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/paymasters-office-pmo/) that you will actively claim national benefits that you are entitled to either at your [place of origin](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/place-of-origin/) or the [place of employment](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/place-of-employment/). The [PMO](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/paymasters-office-pmo/) is actively monitoring such support and is aware of most national schemes. In case you would in general be entitled to receive a national allowance/benefit, but are not receiving due to some particular circumstance, [PMO](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/paymasters-office-pmo/) might ask you to provide proof in order to receive the full [Education Allowance](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/education-allowance/).