M.S./Ph.D. in Geography Graduate Student Steps to Apply for Financial Support for Academic Enrichment

(Submission of application does not guarantee funding - Partial funding may be awarded)

1. Applicant must be enrolled as a resident graduate student in the M.S./Ph.D program in Geography.

MS Students beyond their 2nd year and PhD students beyond their 4th year are not eligible for enrichment funds.
Students must be current in meeting their program deadlines for exams and proposals.

2. Complete Financial Support Request Form and submit electronically to the Geography Department (click for the form).

NOTICE: The 'submit' function for the online form is not currently working. Please complete the form, print it out, and submit the hard-copy to Sue Spaugh in the main office.

3. Application Deadlines are as follows:
a. Fall/Winter Funding - September 15
b. Spring/Summer Funding - February 15

4. Recipients will be notified of funding by the following dates:
a. Fall/Winter Funding - September 30
b. Spring/Summer Funding - February 28

5. Funding will be in the form of reimbursement upon completion of travel OR academic experience.

6. Travel funds are generally awarded during fiscal years that run July 1 to June 30. Please do not request reimbursement of a trip taken in May, for example, at the following September application deadline.

7. TRAVEL REIMBURSEMENTS: Upon completion of travel, submit a completed Travel Support Form (click for the form) with appropriate receipts to the bookkeeper (Sue Spaugh - 302 Walker Bldg.) If you need help in completing the form, please e-mail Sue at sns4@psu.edu. Please keep the following policies in mind when planning travel:
     a. AIRFARE
           i. Airfare will ONLY be reimbursed when an approved university travel agency has been used to book airfare. (List of approved travel agents is available at: http://www.travel.psu.edu/contactus.shtml). If you find a discount fare that is cheaper than through approved travel agents, you must print and submit documentation from the university's on-line travel system, Travelport, verifying that the purchased ticket was cheaper than what was listed on Travelport for the same trip. The date of the search on Travelport and the ticket purchase date MUST match. NO exceptions are made for this required documentation.
           ii. When traveling on an e-ticket, please request a receipt at the desk, gate or computer check-in at the airport for reimbursement.
           iii. Please note, if your expenses exceed your travel award, it may be more efficient for you to claim reimbursement for expenses other than airfare, rather than go through the required airfare documentation procedure.
     b. HOTEL
           i. Itemized hotel receipts are REQUIRED. Please note that if the hotel is booked off the internet using Yahoo, Expedia, etc., the hotel will NOT give you an itemized receipt. Therefore, you must submit proof (along with your internet receipt) that you stayed at the hotel (i.e. a business card from hotel, parking receipt on hotel stationary, etc.)
     c. MEALS
           i. You may expense meals at a per diem rate (http://www.travel.psu.edu/reimbursement.shtml) or by amount spent. Please submit copy of Meals Settlement Calculator Page with reimbursement request. Meal receipts are not required.
     d. MILEAGE
           i. Use calculator rates at http://www.travel.psu.edu/reimbursement.shtml. Please submit copy of Personal Vehicle Mileage Settlement Calculator page with reimbursement request. Documented verification of destination is required to claim mileage (i.e. local destination receipt: meal, hotel, gas, etc.)

8. OTHER REIMBURSEMENTS: Submit receipt with proof of participation to department bookkeeper, Sue Spaugh - 302 Walker Bldg.

9. Reimbursement will be direct deposited into your bank account (only if currently funded by the university) OR a check will be mailed to your local address.