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520.5 Jurisdiction and Responsibilities 

520.5.1 Student is in a U.S., Canadian, or Mexican School 

In a survivor case, jurisdiction is assigned to the field office that services the student's or 

his (her) payee's mailing address even though the student monitoring forms are sent 

direct to the student. In a retirement case, jurisdiction is assigned to the field office 

which services the employee's mailing address. 

Example 1: Fred Smith is attending school in San Francisco. He is having his check 

sent direct deposit to a bank in Oakland. On the Form SF-1199a he completed, he 

listed his mother's address in Chicago as the address to which he wanted the RRB to 

send his mail. Jurisdiction is assigned to the Chicago field office. The Chicago field 

office will be responsible for monitoring the student, contacting the school, etc. 

Example 2: Retirement O/M IPI Fred Jones lives with his mother in Phoenix AZ and 

attends school there. The employee’s address is in Detroit. Jurisdiction is assigned to 

the Detroit field office. The Detroit field office will be responsible for monitoring the 

student, contacting the school, etc. 

520.5.2 Student Is in a Foreign (Except Canadian or Mexican) School 

RBD and SBD examiners have responsibility for eligibility determination and benefit 

monitoring actions for cases in which the student is attending a foreign school (except 

Canadian or Mexican schools and those foreign schools under a program sponsored by 

a domestic school). This is true regardless of where the check is mailed or the mailing 

address is located. 

520.5.3 Transfer of Jurisdiction Between Field Offices 

If a student’s payee changes his address, enter the change of address via Fast COA. 

If the new address is in another field office area, the first field office will: 

A. Furnish the address of the second field office to the student, 

B. Instruct the student to contact that field office on any matter relating to student 

benefits, and, 

C. Make a notation on Contact Log. 
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520.5.4 Transfer of Jurisdiction Between the Field and HQ 

A. If a student beneficiary transfers from a U.S., Canadian, or Mexican school to a 

foreign school (except when the student is attending a foreign school under a 

program sponsored by a domestic school), process the change of address, if 

applicable, monitor the student as explained in FOM-1-530.15. If a student 

beneficiary transfers from a school in a foreign country or in a U.S. possession to 

a U. S., Canadian or Mexican school, the RBD or SBD examiner will process the 

change of address, if applicable. 

520.10 Field Office Responsibility 

Field office responsibilities include: 

A. Determining the eligibility of full-time students in domestic, Canadian and 

Mexican schools, in foreign schools under a program sponsored by a domestic 

school, and in home schooling. 

NOTE: If you need assistance in determining eligibility, call the Bureau of Field 

Service (BFS), or email P&S-PAS via the P&S Inquiry mailbox . Do not seek 

direction or guidance from a claims examiner. 

B. Contact the student in person, whenever possible or by telephone when they 

initially become entitled to benefits to explain the reporting responsibilities that 

accompany student benefits. Give Booklet G-316 Railroad Retirement Benefits 

for Students Age 18-19 in Elementary and Secondary School to the student. 

NOTE: When the personal or phone contact with the student has been made, 

the field office should document the method of contact and the contact date on 

Contact Log. If phone contact instead of personal contact was made, an 

explanation should also be provided on Contact Log 

C. Enter initial and monitoring Form G-315 or Form G-320 FTA proof on APPLE 

screen APMU 925 Proof of Full-Time School Attendance. 

D. Monitoring the student's continuing eligibility for benefits while on the rolls (see 

FOM1 530.15). 

 NOTE: Student cases are divided into two groups. 

 Active cases - The student is currently being paid an annuity, or included in 

the O/M computation of the employee's annuity. 

 Inactive cases - The student is not currently being paid an annuity, or is not 

included in the O/M computation of the employee's annuity because either the 
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FTA development did not prove FTA or the student has a suspension event 

(see FOM-1-535.5.1). These cases can be reactivated when the student 

again starts in FTS. 

These active and inactive cases should be documented on Apple, Contact Log, or 

Imaging until a terminating event occurs or attainment of age 19 (as explained in 

FOM-1-535). 

E. Taking the required action on any suspension or termination notice received 

directly from the student, or a representative of the student. This includes, 

checking the APPLE screen APMU 925 screen to make sure the FTA proof is up 

to date, entering a new APMU 925 screen if necessary, modifying or entering 

terminations of survivor FTS benefits via FAST S/T. For survivor cases in which 

the student annuity was not terminated timely or other family members had been 

subject to the family maximum with the student included in the family group, and 

for Retirement O/M cases, send an Outlook message to SBD or RBD advising 

them to adjust the annuity. 

F. Notifying SBD or RBD if a student who was attending school in the U.S., Canada, 

or Mexico transfers to a school in a foreign country (other than Canada or 

Mexico) or a U.S. possession, conducts benefit monitoring up to the date of the 

transfer, and imaging the student documentation. 

G. Conducting final benefit monitoring action two months prior to or at the time of a 

termination event for students under field office jurisdiction. 

520.10.1 Closing Student Cases 

The student case is considered to be closed when the student's benefits are terminated 

(see FOM-I-535.5). 

520.10.2 Quality Assurance Responsibility 

The field office is responsible for determining the acceptability of evidence submitted to 

verify school attendance at an EI or home schooling as explained in FOM-1-525.25. 

520.15 Examiner Responsibility 

The RBD or SBD claims examiner is responsible for: 

A. Determining the eligibility of full-time students in foreign (except Canadian and 

Mexican) schools and in schools in U.S. possessions. 
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B. Verifying FTA when a student is attending school in a foreign country (except 

Canada or Mexico) or in a U.S. possession. 

C. Notifying the field office if a student, who was attending school in a foreign 

country (except Canada or Mexico) or a U.S. possession, resumes school 

attendance in the U.S., Canada or Mexico. 

D. Requesting a field office to take appropriate action when an application is filed 

directly with Headquarters, or when the student notifies Headquarters of a 

change in schools. 

E. Preparing awards and reviewing the FTA Form G-315 or Form G-320 and FTA 

proof entered on APPLE screen APMU925 (PF15). 

F. Preparing any award letter or other letter sent to the FTS, the employee 

annuitant in a retirement case or the student's payee in a survivor case 

concerning the student's status. RRAILS letters will automatically be imaged and 

viewed by the field offices. 

G. Notifying the field office if the status of child changes from student to disabled 

child. 

H. Notifying the field office of any information received directly from the student or 

the school which would affect the student’s case.