The Caine School of the Arts sets aside funds from Differential Tuition each semester to fund student travel to conferences and other events for students majoring in Art + Design, Music, and Theatre Arts that contribute to their professional and creative development as artists and scholars. Successful proposals will be funded on a first-come, first-served basis until the allocated funding has been exhausted for the year.
Proposals
Student proposals are submitted through ServiceNow.
Proposals must include:
- A one-page summary describing the student travel in detail and how it will contribute to their professional/scholarly/creative development. (Note: Must indicate the virtual attendance of a conference, symposium, workshop, etc.)
- If applicable, a roster of all students participating in the proposed travel, including Aggie ID Numbers (A#s), declared majors, and projected graduation date (month/year) of each traveler.
- Any pending or awarded matching funds for which the student/student group has applied. Students are strongly encouraged to apply for matching funding for their proposals.
- A faculty advisor who supports the student's travel. Students should notify their faculty advisor of plans to submit a proposal.
- All proposals must be submitted through ServiceNow at least 10 days prior to travel.
Award Guidelines
- Students who are majors in Art + Design, Music, and Theatre Arts are eligible to receive funds for legitimate travel and professional development opportunities, as certified by a faculty advisor and department head who will sign the electronic proposal through ServiceNow. Travel assistance will also be available to students for one semester following graduation (i.e., summer semester for students who graduate in May).
- Funds will be allocated on a per-student basis and not as a lump sum to a group of students. As such, budget sheets should reflect the per-student cost of travel.
- DT funds will cover up to 60% of approved travel costs, such as transportation, lodging, and any applicable conference fees, up to a total of no more than $1,750 per student, per trip for domestic travel and $2,000 for international travel. Individual student funding is capped at $4,000 per academic year.
- Other related costs such as private lessons, food, tickets to performances, museum entrance fees, application fees, regular travel associated with course requirements, extra hotel amenities, souvenirs, and personal purchases will need to be covered by the student or another funding source. Students are encouraged to seek matching funding opportunities through their departments, Academic Opportunity Fund, Office of Research Undergraduate Travel Funding, Graduate Student Travel Funding, Honors Program, Experiential Learning Fund and URCO to cover the additional 40% of their travel costs not covered through DT funding.
- Proposals will not receive funding retroactively, that is, for which travel or spending has already occurred. Give at least ten days of lead time for proposal processing. Submissions will not be accepted within ten days of travel.
- DT funds for student travel cannot cover funding for study abroad opportunities. (View Study Abroad scholarships at USU Office of Global Engagement).
- Students awarded travel funding must work with the Caine School of the Arts travel coordinator (located in the Caine School of the Arts Administrative Office) to submit the necessary travel authorizations no later than fourteen days before travel. Students may work with the travel coordinator to make travel arrangements or choose to submit receipts for reimbursement.
- Once travel arrangements have been finalized, students who withdraw from the trip must repay their portion of the travel award. Group leaders are responsible for ensuring that all group members are aware of this requirement, as well as other DT and university travel guidelines, before committing to travel. Any exceptions will be reviewed by the DT Travel Committee.
- Travel must take place within six months of being awarded funds. Students should wait to apply for travel funding until six months before their travel takes place.
- Students must submit all receipts individually (not as group receipts) to the travel coordinator within two weeks of return from travel. All receipts must be itemized with the student's name, date, amount of purchase, and payment type (Venmo, CashApp, ApplePay, or cell phone screenshots are not acceptable proofs of payment). Airfare purchased with airfare credit is a non-reimbursable expense per university policy.
Returning From Travel
- Submit all receipts to the Caine School of the Arts travel coordinator for reimbursement.