2019 DSA National Convention Scholarship FAQ

Who can apply for a scholarship for the national convention?

All delegates to the DSA 2019 National Convention who need financial support to attend can apply for a scholarship. NPC candidates who are not delegates can also apply.

Please note that due to space concerns at the convention, NO alternates will be able to physically attend, unless they are attending in place of a delegate. If an alternate needs to attend in place of a delegate, they must notify the national office of the change by emailing [email protected]. Alternates can apply for a scholarship if they are attending in place of a delegate.

How do I apply for a scholarship?

You can apply for a scholarship by filling out the form here. The deadline to apply is Sunday, June 23rd.

How do I apply for a travel share waiver?

You can apply for a travel share waiver using the scholarship application form here. The deadline to apply is Sunday, June 23rd.

Do scholarship recipients have to pay the travel share?

No. All scholarship recipients are removed from the travel share pool. That means they are exempt from paying the travel share. Scholarship recipients do not receive travel share payments because their scholarship offsets their travel costs.

When will scholarship recipients be notified of their scholarship amounts?

Scholarship applicants will be notified of the amount they have been awarded by Wednesday, June 26 or first thing Thursday, June 27. Notification will be done by email.

NOTE: Recipients must follow the instructions in their award notification email to accept their scholarships by Saturday, 6/29. If a recipient does not respond to the notification email to accept their award, the funds will go back into the scholarship pool to support other comrades. Please make sure to check your email the night of the 27th.

What do scholarships support?

To make the National Convention as accessible as possible, we are expanding scholarship support. In previous years, scholarships could be used for travel costs only. This year, scholarship funds can be used for travel, housing, and/or registration fees. We are also streamlining the application process by including the travel share waiver application in the scholarship application form.

What expenses can scholarships be used for?

Scholarship funds can be used for:

  • Travel costs to and from the convention (such as flights, train or bus tickets, or gas)
    • Uber/Lyft and taxis will be covered in exceptional circumstances only, such as accommodations for disabled delegates or travel to an airport in a city without public transit at the airport.
    • For scholarship recipients using their own car for travel, you can submit gas receipts or be reimbursed for mileage at a rate of $0.58 per mile. Car rental costs will be covered only for delegates who are carpooling. (Updated 6/27 to increase reimbursement amount for mileage)
    • We strongly recommend that delegates avoid using Spirit Airlines, even though other flights might be slightly higher in cost. In the past, DSA event participants who bought Spirit airlines with no insurance have had flights cancelled with no refunds and no rescheduled flights.
  • Housing at the convention hotel during the convention. Housing must be booked through the DSA room block link sent to all delegates.
    • For DSA delegates, scholarship funds can be requested to cover for the hotel 8/1-8/3 (Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights.)
    • For YDSA delegates, scholarship funds can be requested to cover 7/31-8/1 (Wednesday and Thursday nights.)
    • For dual DSA/YDSA delegates, scholarship funds can be requested to cover 7/30-8/3 (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights.)
  • Registration costs. All scholarship recipients will be grandfathered in to the Early Bird registration rate of $65.

What costs are not covered by scholarships?

Because all delegates are provided most meals during the convention, scholarship funds cannot be used for food.

Scholarship funds can be used for travel to and from Atlanta and housing in Atlanta during the convention. Scholarships cannot be used for hotels on the way to the convention or for housing before or after the convention.

Uber/Lyft and taxis will be covered in exceptional circumstances only, such as accommodations for disabled delegates or travel to an airport in a city without public transit at the airport.

Scholarship funds can be used for the actual monetary costs of travel, housing and registration only. For legal reasons, we cannot reimburse delegates who use airline miles to book travel. We also cannot reimburse scholarship recipients for lost wages or other opportunity costs of attending the convention, though we will take that into account when giving award amounts for actual reimbursable expenses, when possible.

How will scholarship recipients receive their awards?

This year, we are improving scholarship distribution by using an online payment service called bill.com, that can deposit awards directly into recipientsā€™ bank accounts or mail them checks. Scholarship recipients will receive an email with instructions to submit their receipts and receive their reimbursements, and will be able to log in and track the status of their reimbursements.

In exceptional cases, we can book hotel rooms or travel directly for people who are unable to pay the costs upfront. Instructions for this will be included in the award email. You must accept your award and notify us if you need direct booking by Saturday, 6/29.

I applied for a scholarship, but did not receive one. Can I still receive the Early Bird registration rate?

We have a large number of applicants this year, so we cannot guarantee that all applicants will receive a scholarship or a scholarship to cover their full request. However, all delegates, non-delegate NPC candidates, and alternates replacing delegates who apply for a scholarship will be grandfathered into the Early Bird rate.