Travel Grants

Applications for 2026 APSA Annual Meeting travel grants are NOW OPEN!
Application Deadline: May 1, 2026

View additional Annual Meeting grant opportunities on the APSA website »

Travel grants will be offered to qualified applications for attendance at the 2026 APSA Annual Meeting. Grants for U.S. applicants will be $200 and grants for international (non-U.S.) applicants will be $400. The travel grant application deadline to apply is May 1, 2026.

Limited travel grants will be offered to support eligible applicants attending the 2026 APSA Annual Meeting, including U.S. graduate students, international graduate students studying in the U.S., unemployed members, international scholars, community college faculty, contingent faculty, and APSA Status Committee members. Applicants must be presenting at the Annual Meeting to be considered for a travel grant, with priority given to first-time attendees and those on the job market.

Travel grants may be used to cover costs associated with attending the Annual Meeting, including mileage for those traveling by car, airfare for those flying to Boston, hotel accommodations, meals, and meeting-related cab fare.

APSA travel grants are issued as reimbursements, with funds disbursed after the conclusion of the Annual Meeting. Awards are $200 for U.S. applicants and $400 for international applicants, though final funding may be adjusted based on factors such as estimated travel costs and the total number of applications received.

Eligibility

To be eligible for travel grant, applicants must: 

• Maintain an APSA membership through the conference dates for which travel grant funding is awarded.
  

• Be presenting at the 2026 APSA Annual Meeting as part of the conference program.
  

• Reside more than 60 miles from the conference location (those within 60 miles of the meeting site are not eligible).

• Submit required documentation, including itemized receipts for all expenses, a completed APSA expense reimbursement form, and your Annual Meeting attendance badge as proof of participation.

• APSA will not reimburse expenses submitted without itemized receipts.

Travel Grant Use

APSA travel grants may be used to cover the following meeting-related expenses:

• Transportation: Eligible expenses include economy bus, train, and airfare, as well as Annual Meeting-related cab or rideshare fares within the conference city.

• Mileage: Car travel to the conference is eligible for mileage reimbursement with documentation of the distance traveled.
  • Mileage will be reimbursed at the 2026 IRS standard rate of 72.5 cents per mile.
  • To qualify for mileage reimbursement, you must also demonstrate that the total mileage cost is less than the cost of a comparable flight.
  • Required documentation for reimbursement includes printed directions showing the distance traveled (for example, from Google Maps) and a printed airfare estimate to the conference city for the same travel dates.

• Lodging: Travel grants may be used to cover hotel stays, hostels, or other rented accommodations (such as an Airbnb) during the conference.

• Meals: Meal expenses during the conference are eligible to be covered by grant funds.

APSA travel grants may not be used to cover any of the following costs:

• First-class or business class tickets

• Rental cars

• Gasoline
  • Receipts for gasoline will not be accepted. Instead, mileage must be submitted for reimbursement in accordance with the guidelines above.

• Alcohol

• Annual Meeting registration or APSA membership
  • APSA membership and conference registration fees are not eligible for coverage, and travel grant funds cannot be applied toward these expenses.

For a downloadable copy of APSA’s grant policy, please click here.

View additional Annual Meeting grant opportunities on the APSA website »