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Student Leadership
Student presenting in the International ballroom

Explore the World

Interested in taking a trip? Learn how the student travel fund can help you get where you want to go.

Please note these items that help streamline the travel fund process:

  • 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.
  • No cash advances will be issued prior to the trip.
  • Student organizations must submit the trip in Community prior to being considered for travel funds.

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

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, 2022, and June 30, 2023.

  • Criteria

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

    • Only student travel funding 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 for Student Travel Funding by the Student Travel Funding Allocation Committee.
    • 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 date(s) and destination of the trip, and any other information that enhances the understanding of the trip.
      • 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.
    • 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).
    • Requesters are required to give a presentation to the Student Travel Funding Allocation Committee. Requesters are entitled up to five minutes of presentation time followed immediately by up to five minutes of time in which the Student Travel Funding Allocation 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.
    • Trips can be prepaid using the Student Life and 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 Life and Leadership no later than 10 business days after the date of return from the trip for reimbursement and reconciliation.
    • Visual summaries and post-trip assessments are required for every approved trip. Please refer to this example of an exceptional visual summary.
  • Useful Tips

    These tips are intended to assist student organizations and individuals interested in requesting funding. Please review this list before submitting a request.

    The Student Travel Committee often has a waiting list to fulfill funding requests.

    Here are some commonly asked questions about this process:

    • If you are out of funds, why are you still having meetings, hearing requests, and making awards? 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.
    • What are my chances of receiving funds from the waiting list? It is our hope that we will be able to fund each trip, but unless several trips are cancelled, 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.
    • What if my trip takes place before the committee meeting or before funds become available? We will still hear your request and issue a reimbursement, if available.
    • What do I do now? 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 to the direction for other funding sources.
    • Why are you out of funds already? It is not uncommon for this pool of funds to be out or very low by December of each academic year.
    • What do I do if I have more questions? Just stop in the office (Walb Union, Room 225) or email [email protected] We are happy to help in any way that we can.

    Here are some other helpful funding tips:

    • Please refer to the Student Travel Funding Guidelines before submitting a student travel funding 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).

    For more information, contact Student Travel.

  • Meeting Dates

    All 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 meeting date and all requests will be presented on a first come, first served basis

    All meetings will be from 3 to 5 p.m. in Walb Union, Rooms 222–226 unless otherwise noted below

    • September 16
    • October 14
    • November 4 (Walb Union G-08)
    • December 2
    • January 13 (Walb Union G-21)
    • February 3
    • March 3
    • April 7
  • Helpful Documents for Requesters

    Individual Travel Documents

    Student Organization Documents

    Miscellaneous (if Needed)

  • Committee Members

    Student Representatives

    • Anna Pence
    • Abigail Gehlhausen
    • William Sunderland
    • Keiki Kohne
    • Eri Omotoba

    Faculty and Staff Representatives

    • Daniel Boylan
    • Michele Shawver
    • Hayley Goltare
    • Rhonda Meriwether
    • Sarah Wagner

    Ad Hoc Committee Members

    • Alex Backer, Student Travel Fund Chair
    • Carolyn Pang, Student Travel Fund Coordinator
    • Monica Fox, Student Organization Liaison

For more information on the student travel fund process, please contact [email protected]