Application Timeline

Funds are distributed as applications are submitted on a first come, first served basis, through March 1, 2026. There is no guarantee funds will be available throughout the year. Students should apply for funds as soon as they know they will be attending the conference, and are encouraged to do so as early as possible to maximize the chance of funding.

Eligibility

Must be an active student at Sacramento State during the semester when attending the conference to be eligible for grant funding. Students that have graduated prior to attending a conference are not eligible for funding.

Amount Awarded

• ARA awards will not exceed $1,000 for both in-state and out-of-state conferences.
• Applicants are eligible for the maximum amount requested (within the parameters of the program guidelines).
• Full funding may not be possible due to budget constraints.

Guidelines

• When to Apply: You are eligible to apply for a conference as soon as you plan on attending, so students are encouraged to apply as early as they can. Acceptance to the conference can happen after applying for the grant. Note the deadline for applying for the grant is in March, so it may be before your conference.
• Group projects: Groups of students attending a conference together are NOT considered "group projects" and must submit individual applications.
• Budget: Do not include the cost of food, textbooks, membership fees, gas, etc. (broader list included in "Program Agreement" page).
• Receipts: Receipts do NOT need to be turned in with application. However, failure to turn in receipts by deadline may result in a forfeit of awarded funds.
• Personal Travel: Travel is allowed one (1) day before and one (1) day after the conference/meeting that you are attending, with all other travel considered as personal requiring a cost comparison. The cost comparison should be for one (1) day before and one (1) day after the conference. This comparison can be obtained by entering these dates into the airline travel site you are using and saved for submission with your receipts. Therefore, in the case that you included personal travel, you will submit both the actual travel date receipt as well as the comparison. You will be reimbursed for the lower cost of the two submissions.
• Award Process: All applicants will be notified via email with the status of grant funding. This is a reimbursement grant and will only be awarded if original receipts are submitted.
• Vendor Data Form: As soon as you receive the email that indicates that you are approved for funding, complete a Vendor Data FormThe vendor number will be emailed to you in approximately five (5) working days from submission. DO NOT complete the form if you already have a vendor number. Email the vendor number to David DeSpain at despain@csus.edu for processing. David will use this number to enter your information into the Sacramento State Concur Travel website. He must have this number before entering your travel request in Concur. Please note, do not complete the Vendor Data Form if you are a graduate student that is employed by Sacramento State Univesity. Instead, please provide your employee ID to David DeSpain at despain@csus.edu
• Combined Booking: If you are using a travel agency or booking online, lodging and transportation must be listed separately.
• List of Proposed Expenses: Please list all proposed expenses for the trip on the Expenses section of the Academic Related Activities (ARA) Program Application, which is located at the bottom of the first page of the application. Expenses not listed in the budget will NOT be reimbursed.

Reimbursement Process

• All applicants will be notified by e-mail as soon as possible after these deadlines, usually within 6 weeks.
• All receipts must have your name on the receipt (if applicable) and must indicate the expense has been paid.
• Special arrangements for reimbursement after the deadlines can be requested. Exceptions are not guaranteed.
• DO NOT pay for flights or hotels with "points" as those cannot be reimbursed.
• Gas will NOT be reimbursed. Mileage for your trip will be reimbursed if the cost of the mileage is less than the cost of a flight.
• Original receipts, boarding passes, name tags, copies of credit cards used, and final statement MUST be submitted to be reimbursed from the ARA grant.
• If you are sharing an Airbnb or hotel room with other students, please note that we will need a memo indicating how much each student paid. If one student picked up the full bill, submit a copy of that plus proof that the other students paid the one student back (like a Venmo screenshot including names of both parties). All students need to sign the memo saying the amounts listed were correct and each student needs to submit their own copy of it with their reimbursement documents. If staying at a hotel you MUST provide an itemized statement, a screenshot of your reservation will not suffice.
• Please be advised that the Accounts Payable office is understaffed which means that reimbursements are taking longer to be processed than expected, estimated 1-2 months after your documents are processed and submitted to the Accounts Payable office.
• Grant reimbursement is subject to University policy and reimbursement guidelines.

Forms

• Application
• Personal Statement
• Final Statement
• Liability Waiver
• Program Agreement