Financial Aid Application Process

To apply, send email to <pycon-aid at python.org>. State your full name, location (where you'll be traveling from), and describe in detail what you would like to have funded and why. The financial aid can cover some or all of the following, in this order:

1. PyCon registration.

   Applicants should ask for help with registration first, since that's the easiest for the PSF to provide. We will be able to offer "free" registrations.

   PyCon hobbyist early-bird registration is US$220. Include this amount in your request.

2. Your hotel room at the conference hotel

   Ask for help with your hotel stay next. PyCon should get some complimentary rooms from the conference hotel, which we can apply to financial aid.

   Hotel rooms are $99/night plus 13% tax; figure $112/night. Room sharing is assumed; a maximum of 50% of the full room rate can be requested per person. You are encouraged to find someone (or two or three) to share a room with, to reduce the the cost.

   If you know the names of the person/people you will share your room with, please include them. More information on room sharing can be found here.

   In your application, state the number of nights you are requesting assistance for, and include the amount (max. 50% of the room rate) in your total.

   Regardless of your room sharing plans, it is up to you or your roommates to make your own hotel arrangements; PyCon volunteers cannot do this for you. Nevertheless, the housing bureau for PyCon 2008 is available for all arrangements with the conference hotel.

3. Transportation (flight etc.).

   Ask for help with transportation last, as there are no shortcuts here. If you want assistance with your transportation costs, please provide a rough estimate (to the nearest US$100) of how much a round-trip will cost. Please update your request once the final cost is known.

The PSF cannot cover your meals during the conference, or registration fees for tutorials.

In addition to the desired total amount, state the minimum amount of aid you require, below which you will not be able to attend PyCon. If we are unable to allocate this minimum amount, we will decline your application and allocate the funds to others.

State why you should come to PyCon, and what you will be doing. We don't need an essay, but please provide a few sentences of explanation. Priority will be given to people who make significant contributions to PyCon and the Python community (e.g. students working on a task, conference speakers, sprint leaders, developers critical to a sprint, super-enthusiastic sprint newbies who will give 110% for their project, or people doing public service work with Python).

Applications must be received by February 11. Upon receiving your message, we'll send you a notice of receipt. The Financial Aid Coordinator and the PSF's Conference Committee will review the applications and allocate financial aid to a subset of the applicants. You should be notified of the status of your application (accepted or declined) by February 18.

We will try to maximize the benefit of the financial aid. For example, three people who need small amounts are more likely to be funded than one person who needs a large amount. To improve your chances, you should request the minimum amount you need to attend PyCon, and support your request with evidence that your presence will benefit PyCon and the Python community. In other words, make your application as attractive as possible.

Registration instructions for those applying for financial aid:

If you are planning on applying for registration cost assistance, complete your registration as normal, but be sure to write "awaiting financial aid decision" in the "additional information" field. When you reach the 'Save Invoice and Proceed to Checkout' step, click the "Alternative Payment Methods" link. That is all we need on our end. If your request for financial aid is declined, for whatever reason, you will be allowed to register at the going-rate at the time of your registration. Lastly, please note that tutorial registration costs will not be covered or waived so if you're planning to register for tutorials, remember that you'll need to pay for those with your own funds.

Funding and Reimbursement Process:

IMPORTANT: Financial aid beyond registration assistance will be provided through reimbursement for documented expenses (i.e., with receipts). There will be no pre-payments, and no reimbursement without full receipts.