Purpose
The GSA Conference Travel Grant is intended to help offset the costs of travel or registration fees at professional conferences at which a graduate student is presenting original research. Eligible students will receive up to $500 in reimbursement for registration or travel costs related to conference travel during the 2022-2023. The grant is based on lock-in fees and is usually set at $200. However, due to an accumulated surplus of grant money during the pandemic, the 2022-2023 General Assembly voted to increase the to $500 temporarily. This increase will only last through the 2022-2023 academic year and will return to $200 in the Fall of 2023.
You can find additional funding through the Academic Senate.
Eligibility
An applicant must be accepted to present original research data and have expenses not covered by other funding sources. Applicants who plan to attend a conference but are not presenting at that conference or who have complete funding for the conference through other sources (department, academic travel grant, etc.) are ineligible.
Travel grants are only available once per academic year. The academic year includes the summer after the spring quarter. For example, if you get a travel grant during the 2022-2023 academic year, you will not be eligible for funding during the summer of 2023.
Lottery Process
2022-2023 rules: We are currently accepting applications on a first come, first serve basis due to an excess in funds rolled over from Covid quarters. Once the application has been submitted you will be informed of the status of your application by the VP of Financial Affairs. Disbursement of the grant can take from 4-8 weeks due to processing times at Associated Students.
2023-2024 rules: During the academic year, forty-five travel grants are allocated each quarter. Eligible applications will be chosen randomly using a lottery system after the application process has closed. Late applications are not accepted. Applicants will be informed via email about their application status no later than one week after the deadline.
Deadlines
Applications are accepted for review at the beginning of the quarter in which the student will attend the conference. Please refer to the application window dates below to confirm when you need to submit your travel grant.
During the summer quarter, travel grants are given on a first-come, first-serve basis starting July 1.
CALIFORNIA STATE TRAVEL BAN
Please note that according to California state law (Assembly Bill 1887) California state funds may not be used to travel to the following states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia. We are waiting to hear from the legal office on the extension of this law to the GSA travel grant. If you are traveling to the aforementioned states you may therefore not be eligible to receive the grant.
APPLICATION WINDOW
We are currently accepting grant applications on a FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE basis due to an excess of funds rolled over from Covid years. Please disregard the below application windows!
If Your Conference Falls in (DOES NOT APPLY DURING 2022-2023)
July 1 – September 22
Fall Quarter (September 23 – January 2)
Winter Quarter (January 3 – March 27)
Spring Quarter (March 28 – June 30)
Submit Your Application
Accepted on a rolling basis
September 27 – October 8
January 3 – January 7
March 28 – April 1
Grant Application Materials
To apply, please complete the GSA Travel Grant Application and email it to our VP of Financial Affairs. You will also need to attach the following documents to the travel grant application.
- Confirmation of your acceptance to present
- An abstract of the paper/project to be presented
- A receipt of conference registration fees
- Receipts for travel costs (flights, hotel, gas, etc.) must match the amount requested AND show a completed transaction OR that it is a non-refundable expense
- Hotel: if the receipt shows the room is booked for 2 people, only half the cost may be reimbursed
- Gas reimbursements are based on mileage at $0.62 per mile (must send screenshot Google maps with starting and end point showing number of miles driven)
- no reimbursement for food
- Proof of attendance once you have participated in the event
(photocopy of your badge or a photo of you at the conference)
Email Guidelines
Please save the application as a single .pdf file with your last name and just your last name when emailing your grant. Please attach all the necessary materials, except proof of travel, which you must submit after the conference. Proof of attendance most commonly includes a photograph of the student presenting or a photograph of the student’s conference badge.
Due Date for Final Documentation (DOES NOT APPLY DURING 2022-2023)
The GSA must receive all final documentation (receipts, proof of attendance, etc.) by the last day of the quarter for which the grant was applied. Any grants that do not receive all documentation by the end of the quarter will be revoked, and the corresponding funds rolled into the next quarter.
The GSA will reimburse you after you return from your conference with proof of your travel. Usually, GSA has allotted 45 grants per quarter. However, due to an excess of funds from Covid quarters, applications are accepted on first come, first serve basis currently.
Reimbursements will be processed using GradPoint via your BARC account. Funds should direct deposit to your bank account. Please make sure that your BARC account is set up for direct deposit!