Student Travel Funds (STF) Guidelines - Purpose, Eligibility, and Application Process

Sep 19, 2026

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Student Travel Funds (STF) support eligible UTRGV students and student organizations to travel to academic conferences and competitions, with the goal of strengthening college and professional experience. The guidelines define key terms (attendee, participant, direct bill, lodging, travel coordinator, and fiscal year) and specify eligibility requirements including enrollment, minimum institutional GPA, good standing, and distance from campus. The document also outlines application steps, required forms, and submission expectations for reimbursement processing.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLetters

FormatPDF

Pages7

Reading Time3 min

AccessFree to download

Purpose and Definitions

Key Terms

Eligibility

Student Requirements

Student Organization Requirements

Application and Award Process

Point of Contact

Required Documents

Purpose The Student Travel Funds (STF) are available to support students traveling to conferences and competitions in order to enhance their college and professional experience. A. Definitions 1. “Attendee:” a student attending a conference solely as a non-competitor, presenter or participant. 2. “Direct Bill:” receiving registration via direct payment towards the conference registration as opposed to being reimbursed. 3. “Domestic Travel:” traveling to a conference/competition that is within the U.S. 4. “Fiscal Year:” pertaining to dates that fall between September 1, 2023 and August 31, 2024. 5. “Group:” two or more students attending the same conference or competition. 6. “Hotel Folio:” record of the guest’s purchases, including the room. Similar to a receipt. 7. “International Travel:” traveling to a conference/competition that is not within the U.S. 8. “Institutional GPA:” the GPA achieved at UTRGV only. 9. “Lodging:” a hotel room or university residential facility used by an applicant for the duration of a conference/competition. AIRBNB, VRBO, and hostels and/or anyother rental home/apartment are not allowed for lodging. 10.“Participant:” a student taking part in an academic conference or academic competition by competing, presenting, or performing. 11. “Paymentworks:” reimbursement registration method used by UTRGV. 12.“Point of Contact:” individual (student, faculty, or staff member) who submits the V Link application. 13. “Registration:” the act of paying a monetary amount to attend an academic conference or academic competition. 14.“Reimbursement:” the act of repaying expenses associated with the conference or competition after the student’s return. 15. "Transportation Expenses:” expenses associated with traveling to and from a conference via flight or bus excluding intercity travel. Examples include: airfare, gas mileage only on personal vehicle, bus ticket, etc. (No car rental) 16.“Travel Coordinator:” university faculty or staff member that is helping to coordinate the trip. B. Eligibility 1. Any student interested in receiving travel funds must meet the following conditions when applying for the semester of travel: i. Must be enrolled at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley for the current semester (exception for Summer semesters) . ii. Undergraduate students must have a minimum 2.5 institutional GPA and graduate students must have a minimum 3.0 institutional GPA. iii. Must be in good standing with the university. iv. Must not be enrolled in Brownsville Early College High School, Mathematics and Science Academy, or other Dual Enrollment program. 2. Any interested student organization must be in good standing with the Center for Student Involvement. For contact information, click here. 3. The purpose for the applicant’s travel should be to explicitly enhance their academic and/ or professional experience gained while attending UTRGV. 4. Internships, fellowships, research opportunities and residencies are not eligible for the SGA student travel funds. 5. The conference or competition must be held at least eighty (80) miles away from the Brownsville or Edinburg campus. 6. Students applying for Student Travel Funds are not allowed to receive academic credit for any registered courses as a result of the conference or competition. 7. Any student or student organization receiving partial funding from another department or program at UTRGV must specify which travel area will be funded. 8. Any student or student organization being funded fully by another department or program at UTRGV to attend an academic conference or academic competition is automatically ineligible to receive funds from SGA Student Travel Funds. 9. Student travel must abide by STU 01-300: Student Travel Policy located in the UTRGV Handbook of Operating Procedures. C. Application and Award Process 1. Select a point of contact that will complete the application process and serve as

FAQs

What are Student Travel Funds (STF) intended to support?

STF are intended to support students traveling to conferences and competitions to enhance their academic and professional experience.

What lodging is not allowed under the STF guidelines?

Airbnb, VRBO, and hostels or any other rental home/apartment are not allowed for lodging.

What is required to receive reimbursement under the application process?

Applicants must prepare required forms and provide proof of charges and payment documentation, including itemized receipts or hotel folio and acceptable bank statement evidence, submitted within the stated timeline.

Sep 19, 2026

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