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Travel funding

Student Leadership

Get out and explore the world.

Interested in taking a trip? Learn how the student travel fund can help you get where you want to go. Of course, there are guidelines, deadlines, and forms to complete first. Find everything you need about funding your trip right here. 

Note: Requests for funding are not guaranteed and should not be assumed to be. Payments for approved travel are not guaranteed to be available before the trip’s departure. Requests are reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis. Please complete the Student Travel Funding Request Form to have your request reviewed by the committee for travel occurring between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025.

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Quick Info

  • A per diem will not be funded for any trip. 
  • Trips that are awarded travel funds can be prepaid using the Student Leadership credit card or reimbursed afterward.
  • Student organizations must submit the trip in Community prior to being considered for travel funds.
  • Requests must be submitted electronically no later than the first day of the month prior to the month of the trip’s departure date. 
  • Only one request per conference will be heard by the committee. Please consider creating an academic group for your requests instead of individual requests. Learn more about this in the guidelines.

For complete information, read through the Student Travel Funding Guidelines and the Student Activity Fee Manual.

Funding Guidelines

 

These are the basic policies. For the complete list and explanation of all policies, procedures, and processes, refer to the Student Travel Funding Guidelines. Please read these guidelines carefully before submitting your request.

1

Who Can Submit

Only requests submitted by recognized Purdue Fort Wayne student organizations, individuals sponsored by a recognized student organization or academic department, or a group of students sponsored by an academic department shall be considered.

2

What to Include

Requests shall include a detailed line-item breakdown of expenses, the logistics and itinerary of the trip, the purpose for traveling, the reason why student affairs should be a financial partner in the trip, the dates and destination of the trip, and any other information that enhances the understanding of the trip.

3

What Funds Can Be Used for

Funding may be used for transportation costs, lodging expenses, and registration and admission fees for permissible activities taking place outside Allen County, Indiana. A per diem will not be awarded.

4

Deadline for Submission

Requests must be submitted electronically no later than the first day of the month prior to the month of the trip’s departure date (e.g., if the trip is in October, the request is due by September 1).

5

Presentation Requirement

Requesters are required to give a presentation to the Student Travel Funding Allocation Committee. Requesters are entitled to up to five minutes of presentation time followed immediately by up to five minutes of time in which the committee members may ask questions of the presenters. Trip requests will be assessed on a rubric based on the baccalaureate framework. PowerPoint is not required but is highly recommended.

6

How to Pay

Trips can be prepaid using the Student Leadership credit card (by appointment only) or by reimbursement afterward. The student organization or individual must provide detailed receipts of expenses, names of students who went on the trip, and any other relevant follow-up information to Student Leadership no later than 10 business days after the date of return from the trip for reimbursement and reconciliation.

7

Post-trip Requirements

Visual summaries and post-trip assessments are required for every approved trip. Please refer to this example of an exceptional visual summary.

Useful Tips

What you need to know.

You’re probably wondering how you can submit a request that has a good chance of being approved. We can help. We’ve put together several tips, as well as some FAQ, that will help you along the way as you prepare your funding request. 

Note: There is often a waitlist to fulfill funding requests. Be sure to submit your request as early as possible. 

  • Please refer to the Student Travel Funding Guidelines before submitting a request to familiarize yourself with policies, processes, and expectations. 
  • Submit your request on time. 
    • While exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis, meetings, presentations, and request reviews with the Student Travel Funding Allocation Committee are not guaranteed if requests are not submitted on time. 
  • Have someone review your request before submission to check for spelling errors, missing information, clarity issues, etc. 
  • Complete the request fully, with as much information and as many details as possible. 
    • Include a detailed expense budget. 
    • Include your personal funding contributions (e.g., fundraisers, donations, out-of-pocket expenses). 
  • When planning a trip, economic efficiency is critical. Try to find modest accommodations that are reasonably priced (e.g., look for connecting flights instead of direct flights, take a bus or trolley instead of a taxi). 
  • Be mindful that your funding may not cover the complete cost of the trip. 
  • The five-minute presentation is your opportunity to make an impression. 
  • Be punctual and dress accordingly (business casual is strongly encouraged).

It is our hope that we will be able to fund each trip, but unless several trips are canceled, we will likely be unable to fund all the requests. We tell everyone this so that people can prepare and find alternative sources of funding.

We will still hear your request and issue a reimbursement, if available.

We recommend planning your trip as though you will not receive any funding. Many of the academic partners are great resources for additional funding, as well as the graduate school and sponsored research. We are happy to meet with you and help you plan a budget for your trip and point you in the direction for other funding sources.

It is not uncommon for this pool of funds to be out or very low by December of each academic year.

The committee is still currently hearing requests and making awards on a waiting-list basis. In the past, the committee ended up returning unused funds at the end of the year because of late cancellations or because students were able to save money on their trip in unexpected ways. We do not want to return any funds this year, and we want to make sure that every last penny is in the hands of students.

Just stop in the office (Walb Union, Room 225) or contact us at [email protected]. We are happy to help in any way that we can.

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Meeting Dates

Know where you need to be—and when.

All Student Travel Funding Allocation Committee meeting times and locations are subject to changes in time, date, and location. Check your email for confirmation for presentations.

Requests must be submitted at least two weeks before the meeting date, and all requests will be presented on a first-come, first-served basis.

The committee only meets during the academic year, monthly from September to April. All of the following meetings will be from 3 to 5 p.m. in Walb Union, Rooms 222–226 unless otherwise noted.

2024–25 Meeting Dates
September 6 (Ideaspace)
October 11 (G-08)
November 1
December 6 
January 17 
February 7 
March 7 
April 4

Documents

The forms you need.

You can’t escape paperwork. Find all the forms and documents you need for your travel-funding request right here. 

Contact Us

Have questions?

 

Contact us at [email protected].