Who is eligible for GPSA transportation funds?
- Any graduate or professional student at East Tennessee State University who has a completed GPSA membership form on file, has paid one-time $10 membership fee, and is actively involved in GPSA can apply for use of GPSA transportation funds
- To receive funding, students are now required to be active members of the association for at least one semester prior to requesting funds. Students are required to participate in at least one GPSA-sponsored workshop and one other GPSA-sponsored event (to include a meeting, a social event, or a community service event) per semester to be considered active members.
- If you are not a member of GPSA, you can become one by filling out this application here and dropping it by the Graduate School Office with your $10 membership fee.
Student Activities Allocations Committee (SAAC) Restrictions
Funds for travel will be limited to student members of the organization or department with the following stipulations:
- the cheapest available transportation for any trip must be used
- no more than three students will be funded for any trip
- rarely will the full amount of travel expenses be granted -- students will generally be expected to pay a portion of their expenses
- funding for lodging will be limited to three nights
Group Travel
- GPSA does not award transportation grants for group transportation. If you are seeking to apply as a group, you must request B.U.C. funds from the Student Government Association (SGA), and will not be eligible for GPSA funding.
How do you apply for GPSA transportation funding?
- In order to apply, the following materials must be turned into the GPSA Treasurer (be sure to copy Dr. Bartoszuk bartoszu@etsu.edu) by the intended deadline with a GPSA Funding Application.
- In receiving GPSA transportation funds, you are required to give a 10-15 minute presentation of your experience or research at a GPSA event (even if you did not present at the conference).
- GPSA also offers the opportunity to practice your presentation before you go to the conference. If you are presenting at a conference, would like to practice your presentation, and get feedback before you go to the conference, GPSA will provide a time and facility for a practice presentation. All you have to do is tell us when. Participating in a practice presentation will satisfy your requirement of presenting during GPSA week.
Funding
Funding is allotted on a two-tier system. The first tier is for those members who are presenting at a conference. Students who are presenting are eligible to receive up to $700. Students who are just attending (not presenting) are eligible to receive up to $300. Mileage is based on round trip estimates. Because the funds are limited, the following priorities will be followed in the allocations:
- First priority will be given to applicants who are requesting funds for presenting research/ scholarly presentation in which the applicant is sole or co-author.
- Second priority will be given to applicants who are requesting funds to attend a conference or professional development workshop that can be shown to be linked to their program of graduate study at ETSU.
- Other proposals will be considered if applicants can demonstrate that the proposed activity will enhance their graduate education, program of study and/or scholarship.
- Students may only receive GPSA Transportation Funds one time per academic year (start of fall semester through the end of the summer semester).
We can only reimburse or cover expenses that are paid; we cannot award money that is not directly tied to travel expenses.
Travel Policies
GPSA wants to support student travel! However, GPSA must follow all ETSU Travel policies and processes in awarding travel funds. All travel claims are subject to ETSU and state audit; therefore, all expenses claimed must be true and correct. During the review process, if it is discovered that travel authorization, claim forms and/or documents have been falsified or contain untrue information, then the award can be revoked. We need to follow ETSU policies so that we can retain the ability to fund future student travel.
GPSA Travel Clinic
- Yoakley Hall, 3rd floor Conference Room
- Tuesdays, 11AM to 1PM and by appointment
Please contact gpsa@etsu.eduto schedule your appointment - For more information check the GPSA Travel Clinic
Instructional Videos on Travel Authorizations and Claims
Students are responsible for filling out their own travel authorization and travel
claim forms. GPSA and the Graduate School do not have clerical support to complete the documents
for students. We can assist and answer questions.
We created the following video to help you understand how to correctly complete your
travel forms. Please watch the video prior to completing your forms.
Incomplete or incorrect forms and/or documentation will mean that your form will be returned to you for correction or completely denied.