Arkansas State University Graduate Student Council

Arkansas State University Graduate Student Council

Travel Fund Guidelines

Travel Awards

The Graduate Student Council (GSC) seeks to aid graduate students in their professional activities. The purpose of the travel fund is to subsidize students for their participation in professional endeavors. All graduate students who currently pay a Student Activity Fee are eligible to apply for travel funds from the A-State GSC. Students may apply for TWO GSC travel fund awardsper fiscal year (July 1st – June 30th) at Arkansas State University. Funding may be used for research, conference registration fees, food, travel, and/or lodging expenses. For each application, students are expected to check with other sources for additional funding support. If students still have travel expenses after all other sources of funding have been expended, they may get reimbursed from the GSC travel award for up to $300.

B. Eligibility

Eligibility for funding is based upon participation at a professional meeting or research conference. Participation is defined as:

Presentation of a paper by the applicant, and/or
Fulfilling the roll of workshop director (student must submit signed letter or e-mail from conference supervisor with application to be eligible for this classification), and/or
Presentation of original work, such as art, design, or a poster presentation.

There are many conferences that students are invited to attend due to their classroom or research achievements. Despite this honor, the travel fund is limited,thus the GSC must restrict funding to only those who meet the above definition of participation. Additionally, applications may be denied if the student receives funds from other sources. We want to ensure that funding is available and provided to those who truly need it.

Travel Fund Forms and Procedure

The GSC strongly encourages all students to apply for funds as soon as they submit material to present at a conference. If, at a later date, a student decides to not attend that conference or if the presentation is not accepted, please notify the GSC Travel Fund Consultant. A student’s eligibility to apply for funding in the future will not be affected if a student does not submit a voucher for approved funds. Important procedures are as follows:

Travel fund applicationsand expenditure vouchers are available online at the Graduate Student Council website. Alternatively, they are available in the Graduate Student Council office. Please email an officer if you would like a copy, and cannot access the forms online. An example of a complete application is available online.

Before traveling, submit the Travel Fund Applicationto the GSC office located in Room 301 of the Education and Leadership Building no later than one monthbefore the start date of the conference. Incomplete and/or late applications will not be reviewed.

The GSC Travel Fund Consultant will send the applicant complete instructions via email regarding the voucher once his/her application has been approved.

After traveling, fill in and deliver the following to the GSC office no later than two weeks after the student returns from the conference:

Travel Voucherwith copies of receipts,
Page of the conference program schedule indicating the full name of the conference and the dates it was held,
Page of the conference program schedule indicating the date and time of your presentation, and
Either i) an abstract as it appears in the meeting/conference bulletin, OR ii) a letter from the conference committee verifying your participation in the conference, OR iii) an abstract of the work if abstracts were not published in a bulletin and student’s name is listed in the schedule. Do NOT submit the entire conference bulletin.

If the GSC is the only entity reimbursing a student, the student must submit the Travel Voucher along with ORIGINAL receipts stapled to one side of an 8.5″ x 11″ sheet of paper. If the student feels that he/she will have difficulties completing the voucher in the time frame due to extenuating circumstances, he/she must notify the GSC Travel Fund Consultant and receive approval prior to the start of the conference.

D. General Guidelinesand Rules

No travel advances will be granted.
The GSC Travel Fund Award is a reimbursement process. The GSC cannot award funds before travel.
The GSC Travel Fund will subsidize only the attended days of the meeting, including travel to and from destination.
The amount of reimbursement cannot be determined until the submission of the expenditure voucher and receipts. The total reimbursement WILL NOT exceed $300.00.
Alcohol and entertainment ARE NOT reimbursable.
Travel Vouchers missing any information will be returned, and must be completed within the two week time allotment. Failure to follow the guidelines will result in the forfeiture of any reimbursement from the GSC.
Falsification of applications or receipts will result in denial of current AND future travel subsidies while at Arkansas State University from the GSC, and a report will be submitted to the student’s department.
Due to the limited availability of funding, the GSC requires all applicants to seek additional funding from outside sources first. The GSC travel fund should be the last resort in obtaining money for research and conferences. Places to seek funding include: the student’s advisor, department head, college, and Nikki Adams (). Priority will be placed on those applicants who have not received any assistance for the current academic year. If additional funding is secured, this must be reported on the application and on the expenditure voucher. If no other sources can provide funding, the applicant must still submit the email or letter from each source notifying them that no funding is available.
For any additional questions about the GSC Travel Fund, please contact the GSC Travel Fund Consultant.

E.Frequently Asked Questions

Am I eligible to apply?

Yes, if you are presenting a paper, leading a workshop, and/or presenting original work, such as art, design, or a poster presentation. See Section B of this document and/or contact the GSC officers for more information.

What documents should I submit?

To apply for the travel fund, you must submit the Travel Fund Application and any related documents. All information, as well as a checklist, is available in the Travel Fund Application. When you return from your conference, submit the Travel Voucher document and all related documents, including receipts and conference program information.

When and where should I submit my documentation?

Students need to submit their Travel Fund Application at least one month prior to the start of the conference. We suggest that students apply as soon as they submit their information to present at the conference to ensure enough time to complete the application and get approval. Travel Vouchers and all corresponding documents are due no more than two weeks after returning from the conference.

When will I know whether I am approved or not?

The GSC Travel Fund Consultant reviews the applications during office hours (posted online and on the GSC Office door). The GSC Travel Fund Consultant will contact you indicating whether your application is approved as soon as they are able to review it (usually within two weeks). Applications may be denied if the application is not complete, submitted late, and/or if the GSC no longer has enough travel funds to support travel applicants.

When will I get my travel award?

Let us reiterate that this is a reimbursement process. The student must pay for the trip expenditures, and then get reimbursed for the travel expenses. After submission of the Travel Voucher form, receipts,and other corresponding documentation, theGSC Travel Fund Consultant will submit the documentation for approval so the student can get reimbursed. It takes roughly one to two weeks for reimbursement, so, the sooner the complete documentation is submitted, the sooner the student can get reimbursed.

Graduate Student Council, Room 301, Education & Leadership Building, 870-680-4818

GSC TFG-02.2018