Forté college conference Travel Reimbursement policy

Conference attendees are eligible for a travel stipend to help offset the transportation and lodging costs associated with attending the event. Stipends are limited — they are only available for students who have traveled more than 50 miles to attend. Stipends are are distributed in the form of reimbursement after the conference. Forté will not provide funds in advance. Reimbursements are generally distributed 4-6 weeks after the event.

Stipends are capped at a maximum of $300 and will in no case exceed the actual costs paid by a participant for their travel and lodging. Please note: Forté Campus Ambassadors and Career Ready Certificate Earners are eligible for an additional $100 for a maximum stipend of $400.

The amount payable will be calculated according to the policy below.

Expense Eligibility Rules

• Travel must occur within one day in advance and one day following the conference. Costs of travel outside of the specific travel windows (listed below for each upcoming event) will not be reimbursed.
• Forté will not reimburse for transportation that does not return the attendee to their original location. Multi-city trips, or trips that include other destinations, will not be covered even if you start and end in the same city. For example, a trip from Maryland to New York for the conference with a stop in Boston for the weekend that returns to Maryland will not be reimbursed. Separate transportation to Boston and then to Maryland would have to be arranged and paid for separately.
• Accommodations eligible for reimbursement include hotels, motels, Airbnb, and other commercial establishments. Reimbursements will not be given for non-commercial establishments.
• Excluded items comprise but are not limited to food, beverage, taxis, rideshare services, local bus or train, checked baggage fees, parking fees, travel insurance, change flight fees, etc.
• Attendees who share accommodations will have the funds distributed evenly between parties.

Air, Bus, or Rail Travel

Long-distance travel fares associated with airfare, bus, or rail travel are eligible for reimbursement. Travel must occur within the approved travel window listed for each conference. All expenses must be documented by a receipt indicating full payment, travel details, and name of traveler(s). Please note: this does not include transportation to and from the airport, train station, or bus station, parking fees, checked baggage fees, travel insurance, change flight fees, or other related expenses.

• Emerging Leaders Conference – June 4, 2025
  Approved Travel Window – June 3-5, 2025

If you extend your stay, verification will be required to show that the flight cost is equal to or less than if you traveled within 24 hours of the conference. When making your travel arrangements, please make a printout/screenshot of the cost of the fare for the flight that is within the travel window BEFORE purchase. Without this documentation, your travel costs will not be reimbursed.

Car Travel

Attendees choosing to drive to and from the conference from their current U.S. residence are eligible for mileage reimbursement. You must provide proof of distance in the form of a Google or Apple map that shows the distance from your current residence to the conference location. Mileage reimbursement may be disbursed according to the following limits:

• 200-300 miles traveled: $100
• 100-199 miles traveled: $75
• 50-99 miles traveled: $50

Expenses incurred for travel in and around the city in which the conference is being held (i.e. taxis, buses, rideshares) are not eligible for reimbursement.

Lodging

The travel stipend can also be used to cover lodging costs related to your attendance at a Forté Conference. Covered lodging expenses must occur within the lodging fee window noted below for each conference. All expenses must be documented by a receipt indicating full payment, date of stay, and number and name of guests. Accommodations eligible for expense reimbursement include hotel, motel, hostel, Airbnb, and other commercially established and regulated home sharing sites (i.e. Vrbo, HomeAway, etc.). Reimbursements will not be given for non-commercial establishments. If a hotel room block is secured by Forté, we will update this page.

Lodging fees will only be reimbursed for the following nights:

• Emerging Leaders Conference – June 4, 2025
  • Event Location: Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.
  • Lodging Fee Window: June 3-5, 2025
  • Visit the registration website to book in the Forté room block.

Sharing Expenses

Forté does not coordinate travel or roommate agreements between attendees. There is a GroupMe for each conference where attendees can connect and inquire about travel arrangements.

Lodging expenses can be split amongst attendees, but only by the number of people sharing the cost. For example, if two attendees share a hotel room, the reimbursement for the hotel will be divided evenly between the two attendees. Funds cannot be pooled together resulting in greater reimbursements for one attendee over another.

Process

Reimbursement Requirements

All reimbursement forms and receipts must be received by Forté no later than one week after the conference. All reimbursements will be processed within 4-6 weeks of receipt of the reimbursement form and supporting documentation. No stipends will be processed after the deadline.

• Emerging Leaders Conference – June 4, 2025
  • Stipend form deadline: June 11, 2025

The following information and documentation must be provided by the participant:

• Completed reimbursement form (provided via email after completion of conference attendee survey)
• Uploaded images of all receipts. Receipts must be itemized and include the following information:
  – Airline/Transportation Company name
  – Flight, train, or bus details (dates of travel, destination)
  – Passenger name
  – Payment amount, method, and transaction date

Please Note: Any errors or incomplete information (i.e. name, mailing address, invalid receipt, etc.) may result in delays to your reimbursement.

To be eligible for the travel reimbursement, you must:

• Have traveled more than 50 miles to attend the conference
• Attend the entire conference program
• Thoughtfully complete the attendee survey, which will be emailed to you after the event. Instructions on submitting your expenses will be viewable after completion of this brief survey.

Reimbursement Distribution

Once reimbursement forms are reviewed and approved by the Forté finance team, eligible stipends will be reimbursed through Bill.com via ACH or live checks.

• Each recipient will receive an invitation from Bill.com to register for ACH (electronic bank deposits) of your reimbursement. The service is free and no fees will be deducted from your stipend. In order to register for electronic bank deposits, you must have a Social Security number.
• Recipients wishing to receive a live check may ignore the invitation and a live/physical check will be mailed to the address provided.
• International recipients that do not have a Social Security number will receive a live/physical check mailed to the address provided.
• No stipends will be dispersed through Venmo, Cashapp, PayPal, or other online sites.

It will take 4-6 weeks after the stipend deadline for these payments to be processed. We begin processing on the submission deadline. Physical checks will be sent via USPS and delivery times will vary. Please provide an address that you will have access to for at least four weeks in the event there is a delay with the processing of your reimbursement.

Please don’t hesitate to contact the Forté College Team with any questions.