The Law School Travel Grant

The Law School Travel Grant has been closed for the 2023-24 school year. This page will be updated when/if the grant is reopened in the future. We understand there have been many applications already this year and will be in touch with those individuals in the coming weeks to update on your status.

Purpose
The Law Student Travel Grant Fund has been established to defray a portion of travel costs and other expenses incurred by UIC Law students who participate in conferences or other training activities that are not otherwise funded by the law school.

Funding Priorities
Although a student may submit an application for a variety of legal or law-related training activities, the Travel Grant Fund will give priority to the following:

  1. Students serving on the planning committee for academic or professional conferences.
  2. Students engaging in pro bono or leadership projects.
  3. Students whose training activity directly relates to a board position on a UIC Law Endorsed Student Organization (ESO).
  4. Students delivering papers or presentations at academic or professional conferences. If the Fund is used to support a paper or presentation, the paper or presentation should indicate that funding was provided by the Law School.
  5. Students serving as board members on or being honored with an award by the regional or national organization putting on the event.
  6. Students interviewing for federal judicial clerkships or state-level supreme court judicial clerkships when the interview is more than 150 miles from campus.

Please note that allocations for advocacy-team travel, costs associated with bar study, meal-only events, or costs associated with securing or performing a job, internship, or externship (other than as noted in #6 above), will not be made from the Travel Grant Fund.

Eligibility
A student must be registered at the law school during the semester the training activity takes place. At the time of application and at the time the  activity takes place, the student must be in good academic standing and not on probation, and must not be subject to any Honor Code investigation or other disciplinary process.

Funding Limits and Criteria
The Travel Grant Fund was not established to cover the entire cost of participating in an activity. In most cases, awards will be limited to $500 or up to one–half of the total reimbursable trip costs as permitted by law school policy, whichever is higher, although awards may be larger or smaller depending on the number of applications received and other factors. A student may submit multiple applications in a single year, although a student typically will receive funding only once a year. In no circumstance may a student receive more than $1,500 in travel grants in a single fiscal year.

Travel grants are issued as reimbursements following the training activity. Reimbursable expenses may include conference fees, training materials, travel and housing expenses, and/or presentation supplies. No membership fees, personal expenses, food, or beverages will be covered. Student awardees are responsible for collecting and submitting all
pertinent receipts and required documents; failure to do so within the timelines stated in the award letter will result in a forfeiture of the grant.

Travel grants are processed as scholarships through the Financial Aid Office and may impact the student’s financial aid budget. In cases where the activity is clearly connected to academic coursework, the student’s financial aid budget will be increased to include the amount awarded. However, the Financial Aid office is unable to increase budgets for
reimbursement for activities related to post-graduation experiences (such as #6 above).

Selection Process
Applications will be reviewed by a Committee that will include the following (substitutions or additions may be made by the Dean):

  • Assistant Dean for Student Life & Leadership, Chair
  • Assistant Dean for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
  • Director, Career Services Office
  • Director, Student Activities & Leadership Development
  • Assistant Director, Student Engagement & Accommodations
  • One leader from a UIC Law Endorsed Student Organization

In reviewing applications, the committee will consider the priorities listed above, adherence to application instructions, the quality of the student’s personal statement, academic record, financial need, and the merit of the proposed activity. The Committee will make recommendations to the Dean, who will make the final travel grant decisions. The Committee may make its recommendations based solely on applications; it may also
choose to interview any or all applicants, and to request additional materials from applicants. The Dean may also seek supplemental information about the applications. The Committee will announce grants to applicants within 30 days of each application deadline.

Award Administration
The award will be in the form of a reimbursement of expenses and pursuant to law school travel policies and procedures. Any other arrangement must be approved, in writing, by the Assistant Dean for Finance and Administration. Once awarded, the student may not
change the activity for which an award was made. Students who are awarded a travel grant must submit a reimbursement request within one month of the conclusion of the approved activity, but no later than April 30.

 

Application Instructions (Currently Closed for 2023-24) Heading link

Students must complete an online application. The application will require submission of activity information, budget information, and a short personal statement about how the activity is related to the student’s academic interests and endeavors.

  • Group applications are not permitted. All students seeking funding must submit their own applications, including a unique personal statement.
  • The Travel Grant Committee will consider applications two times per year:
    • The fall application deadline is September 15;
    • The spring application deadline is February 15;

The activity that is the subject of the application must take place during the semester in which the student applies. At this time, we can only fund activities taking place during the fall or spring semesters, not during the summer. Students who are applying for funding for an activity that has already transpired must have access to all of the required documentation listed below, including receipts and a photo taken at the activity.

  • Students who are awarded a travel grant must submit a reimbursement request within one month of the conclusion of the activity, but no later than April 30. Electronic submission of reimbursement requests is preferred. The reimbursement request must include all four of the following items:
    • Receipts totaling or exceeding the amount of the award.
    • A 2-3 page reflection essay. For the essay, identify and describe one important concept, research finding, theory, or idea that you learned at the activity. Reflect on why this idea is important to your field of study or your personal learning. Finally, apply this idea to your own life by exploring how
      it will help you become a practice ready lawyer or a more innovative professional. Your essay may be used for Law School publicity, so use graduate-level writing and consider a professional audience.