• Contact Us |
• Site Map|
• | Employment Opportunities
• | Business Opportunities
• | Home

• About Our Organization
• District Profiles
• Community Websites
• School Websites
• School Calendars
• Press Room
• Policies & Guidelines

Parents & Students

• Homework Help
• College & Career Planning
• Curriculum
• Instruction
• Environment
• Assessment
• Student Transcripts
• More for PARENTS >>
•   More for STUDENTS >>

Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) Links

• DoDEA Headquarters
• DoDDS-Pacific/DDESS-Guam
• DoDDS-Europe
• For DDESS Employees >>>

Non-DoD Schools Program

• Americas
• Europe
• Pacific

DDESS Eligibility and Registration

DDESS schools provide education to eligible students. The following information summarizes the eligibility criteria.

Please note: Early Childhood Entrance Age Change

DoDEA will change its early childhood program entrance age requirement starting with school year (SY) 2009-10. The entrance eligibility birth date will be adjusted from October 31 to September 1 which means a child must be five years old by September 1 to enroll in kindergarten. The change aligns DoDEA with national trends as well as the age requirement in many military-impacted states. Please see the DoDEA Early Childhood Website for full details.

Eligibility within the Continental United States (CONUS)

Tuition-free

Dependent children of military members and civilian employees of the Department of Defense occupying (or within 90 days of being provided) permanent living quarters on any military installation served by a DDESS school program.

Tuition-paying

Dependent children of non-DoD civilian employees occupying (or within 90 days of being provided) permanent living quarters on any military installation served by a DDESS school program IF THE EMPLOYING AGENCY AGREES to reimburse the DoD for the educational services provided.

Eligibility within territories, possessions and commonwealths of the United States.

Tuition-free

Students are eligible to attend on a tuition-free basis if they are dependents of:

• military and civilian employees of DoD living on the installation.
• military members on active duty, stationed or home-ported in the territory, possession, or commonwealth and not residing in permanent quarters.
• military members on active duty who have been assigned to a remote location or unaccompanied tour of duty and their dependents have been authorized by designated location move orders to reside in the territory, possession, or commonwealth.
• full-time DoD civilian employees, occupying a position that is subject by policy and practice to transfer in a territory, possession, or commonwealth and not residing in government quarters.
• full-time, permanent, professional excepted service employees of the DDESS Arrangement not residing in permanent quarters on a military installation.

Tuition-paying

Dependent children of full-time civilian employees of non-DoD Federal agencies (whether they are or are not residing in government quarters), IF the employing agency certifies that they occupy a position that is subject by policy and practice to transfer in a territory, possession, or commonwealth AND THE EMPLOYING AGENCY AGREES to reimburse the DoD for the educational services provided.

Note: DDESS schools are not authorized to accept tuition payments from individuals.

Note: Residence in permanent living quarters on a military installation served by a DDESS school program does NOT guarantee eligibility to attend the DDESS schools.  Sponsors are required to meet the criteria listed above, regardless of residence.  DDESS is not authorized to enroll students whose sponsor does not meet the eligibility criteria.   

DoDDS Cuba Eligibility

The W.T. Sampson school follows the eligibility requirements of the DoDDS schools overseas.

Eligibility Governance

DDESS eligibility is outlined in:

• Section 2164 of title 10, United States Code
and
• Department of Defense Instruction 1342.26, "Eligibility Requirements for Minor Dependents to Attend Department of Defense Domestic Dependent Elementary and Secondary Schools." (pdf) dated March 4, 1997.

Proof of Eligibility

See the list of documents required to determine eligibility and register a child in the DDESS schools.