51. Provide scholarships to cover lodging and travel expenses for students of color, students with lower incomes, and first-generation students who represent their institutions at conferences and networking events.
Here’s what state government can do:
- State legislatures should fund programs to cover the lodging and travel expenses, including meals, for students of color, first-generation students, and students with lower incomes who represent their institutions at conferences and networking events.
Here’s what institutional leaders can do:
- Higher education institutions should expand the availability of scholarships for students of color, first-generation students, and students with lower incomes that cover their lodging and travel expenses, including meals, when representing their institutions at conferences and networking events.
- Higher education institutions should ensure that students of color, first-generation students, and students with lower incomes have access to information regarding scholarships available to them when representing their institutions at conferences and networking events.
Equity in higher education extends beyond lecture halls and encompasses all facets of student life, including when students have been selected as representatives of their institutions and offered the opportunity to travel to conferences and networking events. Financial barriers may prevent students of color, first-generation students, and students with lower incomes from gaining access to professional networks, sharing their research, and acquiring exposure to career opportunities. To mitigate this, travel scholarships specifically designed to support students with fewer financial resources should provide food security and include coverage of all meals, as well as lodging for overnight travel.