Travel Grants are awarded to assist students who travel to perform thesis-related research or attend conferences related to their graduate projects. This also may include thesis related travel to workshops and programs.
Due to the availability of funds from the Graduate Student Commons Governance Board, amount of travel grants may vary. You may only apply after all travel has been completed.
Deadlines for submitting applications are posted quarterly. Applications are processed at the end of each quarter, and applications will only be accepted the week prior to the deadline. Incomplete applications will not be eligible and will be returned. They may be resubmitted for the next quarterly deadline when completed. Please see our detailed application instructions below. No funds will be disbursed without original receipts!
Eligibility
To qualify for a GSA travel grant, you must meet the following requirements:
- Currently enrolled graduate student
- Must have either traveled to a conference or attended a program or workshop or traveled to a field research site and engaged in research directly related to your thesis work
- Must have application received by Travel Grants Committee on or before the deadline!
Restrictions
- Meals are not eligible for reimbursement from the GSA (effective fall 2005)
- Gas is not eligible for reimbursement. Please use mileage instead.
- If you traveled to a conference preference will be given to those presenting an original paper or project of which he/she was the primary author.
- Only ONE travel grant may be submitted per quarter. A single grant may not consist of two or more conferences or workshops.
- Travel must be completed before you apply, and departure must be within the past 2 calendar years.
- You can only receive funding once an academic year.
- Group travel policies have changed and may change again (effective fall 2007) Check this link!
- Late or incomplete applications are not eligible and will be returned
Completing the Application
Application information can be found by clicking the "Application" link to the left. Mail complete applications via interdepartmental campus mail to GSA mail stop
A complete application consists of ALL the items listed in the "Application" tab to the left and original receipts.
Please include your e-mail address on the
Post-Travel form even if there is no line for e-mail.
Effective Fall 2005, a 204 form is required for EVERY application, even
if you have filled one out before.
Please read our Frequently Asked Questions.
If you have any other questions, contact our GSA Travel Grants Committee (gsatravel@ucsc.edu) BEFORE the deadline.
Also check the Financial Affairs Travel Site.
Travel Grant Policy
It is the goal of the Travel Grant committee to provide grants for grad students for traveling to conferences and research opportunities. Oftentimes many more applications are submitted than can be awarded. The following criteria are then used to establish order of awards given:
- Applications must be complete and on time. PLEASE use the example application to make sure your application is complete.
- Airfare & Hotels need itemized itinerary and credit card or bank statement.
- If you have received funding in the past for a GSA travel grant then your chances of receiving funding again are reduced based on when the funding was received.
- While GSA funds may be used in conjunction with funding from other sources, we prioritize applications which have received little or no external funding.
- If you are applying for a grant based on a conference you went to and are not presenting at the conference or are not the first author than your chances of funding may be decreased
Award amounts vary based on the number of eligible applicants and funding available.
Additional funding is made available by the GSCGB (Graduate Student Commons Governance Board).
Congratulations to previous award winners!
