# 2020-084 Pay and Benefits, Shelter allowance outside Canada

Case Summary

F&R Date: 2021–01–19

The grievor argued that the key to post-secondary shelter assistance set out in Foreign Service Directives (FSD) 34.6 is that the student be enrolled in a Canadian university or college and be under the age of 23, asserting that his dependent child met both of these criteria.

The Initial Authority denied the grievor redress asserting that because the dependent child was physically in attendance at a university outside of Canada on an exchange program during an academic year, she could not be considered in attendance at a Canadian university for the same time-period.

The Committee noted that FSD 34.6.1(a) specifically establishes the dependent child's full-time attendance at a post-secondary educational institution in Canada as a condition of entitlement to shelter assistance.  As such, the Committee found the grievor was not eligible for a post-secondary shelter assistance as requested by the grievor as his dependent child attended a university outside of Canada. 

FA Decision Summary

The Director Canadian Forces Grievance Authority, as Final Authority (FA), agreed with the Committee's recommendation to deny the grievance. The FA found that the grievor's situation did not meet the criteria provided in the Compensation and Benefits Instructions since his dependant was enrolled in an international study program and was not physically attending a university in Canada.