Scholarship & General FAQs
Frequently asked questions about the SSDP conference
ABOUT SCHOLARSHIPS
Please note: Information is subject to change, check this page for frequent updates.
Q: What would a scholarship from SSDP cover?
A: Conference scholarships are intended to assist low-income students in paying for their lodging, transportation, and/or registration needs associated with the conference. Most scholarships do not cover the full cost of travel but an amount that makes travel more affordable. No all-inclusive scholarships will be given, so students will need to be prepared to pay for all or part of their airfare, lodging, ground transportation, and/or registration fees. SSDP staff members will work with each scholarship applicant to negotiate scholarship awards that work for them.
Q: Will my scholarship cover transportation and food costs while I'm at the conference?
A: No. Scholarships are intended only to assist students primarily with the cost of lodging, and secondarily with the costs of registration and travel. Four meals will be provided during the conference (cost is included in registration fees) - one breakfast and one lunch will be served on both Saturday and Sunday at the Hyatt Regency Denver Tech Center. Students are expected to cover the costs of metro rides, taxis and other forms of public transportation that get to and from hotels, airports and the conference.
Q: Will my scholarship cover the registration fee?
A: Scholarships generally will not cover the conference registration fee. For individuals with extraordinary financial hardship, registration scholarships could be considered.
Q: Will SSDP cover the costs of my travel up front?
A: No, SSDP will not cover the costs of your travel up front. Travel scholarships are made available through a reimbursement process. You must purchase your own travel arrangements, send us all receipts and then attend the entire SSDP conference. After submitting a conference evaluation form to the staff, a check will be given to you at the end of the conference or mailed to you after the event is over.
Q: While I wait to hear about my scholarship award decision, should I move forward with making my travel plans?
A: Yes. Applicants are encouraged to secure travel plans (especially flights) as soon as you are able. Scholarships will not be provided to purchase airfare in advance, but rather they are distributed at the conclusion of the conference in the form of reimbursement checks. Some scholarship awards will include shared hotel room space, in which case you will not need to make your own hotel reservations. However, it's never a bad idea to book your hotel as soon as you're able and if/when you are awarded a lodging scholarship, you can simply contact the hotel to make changes in your billing information. All conference attendees will be responsible for their own ground transportation to and from the airport and hotel.
Q: I'm not a student. Can I still apply for a scholarship?
A: Unfortunately, scholarships are for students only.
Q: When is the deadline to apply for a scholarship?
A: Scholarship applications will not be accepted after 11:59pm EST Friday, January 20, 2012.
Q: Are there additional funding opportunities for students who want to attend?
A: Yes, see this page for details on and application form for our people of color travel stipend.
Q: When will someone contact me about my scholarship?
A: The SSDP staff will begin evaluating scholarship applications on January 1, 2012. Awards will be decided and confirmed between *UPDATED* February 6-24. If there is a time sensitive constraint on your plans that requires you to know before a certain date, please contact Stacia Cosner.
Fill out your scholarship application here.
GENERAL FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CONFERENCE
Q: When should I plan to arrive in Denver?
A: Short answer: Friday, March 23rd as early in the day as your schedule will allow. Long(er) answer: The opening reception and registration is tentatively scheduled to begin around 6pm on Friday, March 23. The hotel has offered to honor our discounted group rate for 3 days before and 3 days after the actual conference, so if you'd like to get into town early, you may do so. Additionally, it's usually cheaper to fly toward the middle of the week - such as a Wednesday 3/21 or Thursday 3/22 instead of Friday - so you may want to explore flexible travel options like this to minimize costs.
Q: When should I plan to depart Denver to come home?
A: Short answer: Sunday, March 25th as late in the day as your schedule will allow. Long(er) answer: The conference programming is tentatively scheduled to run until at least 6pm Sunday March 25th, so you don't want to leave any earlier than that if don't want to miss anything. Also, if you've ever been to a conference before, you know how tired you're likely to be on Sunday after two intense days of conference programming, so if your schedule and budget allow, we highly recommend staying in town Sunday night so that you don't have to worry about checking out of your room, getting yourself to the airport, then traveling home in addition to participating in Sunday's conference program. Additionally, it's usually cheaper to fly toward the middle of the week - such as a Monday 3/26 or Tuesday 3/27 instead of Sunday 3/25 - so you may want to explore flexible travel options like this to minimize costs.
Q: How do I book my hotel room?
A: To make hotel reservations utilizing our group discount at the Hyatt Regency Denver Tech center through this website: http://resweb.passkey.com/go/SSDP2012 *UPDATE* The deadline to book your hotel room is Friday, March 9, 2012. However, if there are still rooms available, it will still be possible to make hotel reservations via the website we referenced after that date.
Q: How do I find the cheapest airfare?
A: We recommend using Kayak.com to explore flight options.
Q: When should I book my flight?
A: As far in advance as you can. You can use a fare prediction tool such as bing.com to determine the likelihood of your flight price increasing or decreasing.
Q: How much does registration cost? What does it include?
A: Regular registration fees are as follows:
- $65 - Students
- $95 - Alumni
- $135 - Non-students
Included in each registration will be four meals (breakfast and lunch will be provided during both days of the conference), a tote bag, name tag and conference program. The registration deadline is Friday, March 9, 2012. Please note: After 3/9, it will no longer be possible to register online. The only remaining option will be to register in person at the conference, and registration fees will be significantly increased. Register here.
Q: Are you seeking proposals for speakers, sessions, or other conference content?
A: Yes we are. Find all relevant details about session proposals (including submission form) here. *UPDATE* The deadline to submit session proposals has passed, we will no longer be accepting proposals. See the tentative conference schedule here.
Q: Will there be any opportunities for organizations or companies to exhibit during the conference?
A: Yes. Find all relevant details about exhibiting here. *UPDATE* The deadline to register as an exhibitor has passed. If you are still interested in sponsoring the conference, please contact Aaron Houston ASAP.
Q: What is the dress code?
A: Business casual. We hope to be able to present ourselves to the media as young professionals, so please keep this in mind when selecting your attire.
