SYTA Youth Foundation

The SYF "Road" Scholarship

Purpose

Formed in the year 2000, The SYTA Youth Foundation (SYF) is the non-profit, philanthropic sister organization of the Student & Youth Travel Association (SYTA®). The SYF established the SYF "Road" Scholarship program in 2002 to award funds to youth who, for various reasons, are unable to afford the cost of their group's travel. Based on the belief that travel is essential to a complete education, it is the SYF's goal to make a positive difference, through travel, in the young lives of our global citizens. Each year the SYF awards 30 or more scholarships to deserving youth. Scholarships are awarded based on circumstances and need as documented in the completed application form.

Road Scholarship FAQs

What is a Road Scholarship?

A Road Scholarship is financial aid granted to an eligible student or young person for education- or performance-related travel with their class or youth group. The SYF Board of Trustees has the final decision as to each award and each award is made at its sole discretion.

When can I apply for a Road Scholarship?

There are 3 application deadlines for Road Scholarships and applications will only be accepted online:

Applicants should note that the decision process takes approximately six weeks from the date of the application deadline. Please note this time frame when planning to meet trip payment deadlines.Please also note that SYF Road Scholarships can only be applied to travel costs of the specific trip indicated in the application. This trip must take place within 6 months of the Announcement Date.

How much money is awarded for each Road Scholarship?

The scholarship amount varies on a case-by-case basis, depending on the cost of specific trips, the demonstrated need of the applicant, and the number of applicants in a given application period. The average Road Scholarship granted is $600. No more than $1000 will be awarded to a single student.

How many Road Scholarships are awarded for each application period?

The number of scholarships awarded depends upon the number of applications received in a given period, the cost of specific trips, and the general level of need in a given applicant pool. The average number of scholarships awarded is often between 10-20 per application period.

Can more than one student going on a single trip win a Road Scholarship?

Yes, but SYF reserves the right to limit the number of students receiving scholarships from a single school per application period. Specifically, a single trip cannot receive more than $1000. This limit exists in order to spread the benefits of the Road Scholarship program to a broad number of students and organizations. There is no guarantee that a given trip will receive any funding from the Road Scholarship program.

What are my student's chances of winning a Road Scholarship?

Because the number of scholarships awarded per application period varies, so do the odds of winning. The Road Scholarship program generally receives between 400 and 600 applications each period, and awards only 10-20 scholarships.

Who can apply for a Road Scholarship?

• Any student or youth ages 25 and under
• Applicants must be participating in some form of student/youth group travel, including but not limited to class field trips, youth group or choir trips, and study abroad programs
• Applicants must demonstrate circumstances that prohibit them from participating in the travel program due to financial need.
• Applicants must not be related to a SYTA member or SYF Trustee.
• Applicants must not be a relative of Association Management Group owners or employees

How do I apply for a Road Scholarship?

The student's teacher, school administrator, group leader, parent, or other adult familiar with the student and scheduled trip must nominate a student for a Road Scholarship. Students cannot directly apply for a Road Scholarship

How do I nominate someone for a Road Scholarship?

Visit http://www.sytayouthfoundation.org/grants.php?mode=road and click on the "Apply Online" button highlighted in orange at the bottom of the page. Answer each question by responding in the required field. When you have finished, check your responses to ensure they are accurate. Next, you must indicate that you have read and agreed with the statement regarding the nomination and eligibility rules, then click the "Submit" button.

Can I nominate more than one student for a Road Scholarship?

Yes, but keep in mind that no more than $1,000 will be awarded to a single trip. This decreases the amount of money each student is able to receive if more than one of your nominees are selected. Teachers or leaders applying for a group of students rather than an individual should consider the National Youth Day Out program.

Can I begin completing the Road Scholarship application form and save my changes to continue completing the application at a later time?

No, changes will not be saved to an application. If you need additional time, please prepare answers in a word document to allow for editing, and then copy and paste the final version into our application form.

Once submitted, an application cannot be changed. If you need to make changes to your submitted application you will need to re-apply and notify SYTA Youth Foundation staff of the change, indicating which application should be considered. Please email SYF staff at info@sytayouthfoundation.org and include "SYF Road Scholarship" in the subject line.

Should I send additional material to the SYTA Youth Foundation to support my scholarship application?

No. Members of the SYTA Youth Foundation Board of Trustees only consider information included in the online application. Additional essays, school report cards, or pictures will not be considered.

How will I know if my student wins a Road Scholarship?

All nominators will receive an email from SYTA Youth Foundation staff, notifying them of results regardless of the student's success in the nomination process. The SYTA Youth Foundation staff will not contact students and their parents. It is the responsibility of the nominator to share the results of the application process with the student and his/ her family. In order to facilitate this process, it is imperative that all nominators include their correct, up-to-date email address to ensure they can be contacted with results.

If I win the Road Scholarship, how will I receive the scholarship funds?

All scholarship awards will be paid directly to the organization or company responsible for organizing the trip, such as a professional tour operator or school. No money will be given directly to students or their families. Awards cannot be reimbursements. Checks must be written to the tour operator, school, or group organizing the trip and cannot be made out to individuals. If awarded a Road Scholarship, you must claim the scholarship funds within 30 days of notification. All unclaimed funds will return to the scholarship pool.

I applied for a Road Scholarship but did not receive funding. Can I apply again for the next application deadline?

Yes. Students who are not awarded a Road Scholarship may apply again. It is the responsibility of the nominator to re-submit the online application. Applications are not automatically re- considered for the next application deadline.

If the students travel expenses have already been paid, can they or their parent be reimbursed with a Road Scholarship?

No, scholarships can not be paid as reimbursements. All Road Scholarship funds must go directly to the organization or company responsible for organizing the trip, such as a professional tour operator or school. No money will be given directly to students or their families.

Thanks for joining with the SYF to get students "on the Road"!