Overview
As part of our commitment to the Python community, PyCon US 2026 is pleased to offer a limited round of needs-based travel grants. Eligible expenses include airfare and lodging. Please review the FAQ below for more information about PyCon US 2026 travel grants.
Questions and Answers
- When/how can I apply for a PyCon US Travel Grant?
- Are there limits to how much funding I may receive?
- What kind of costs are covered by the PyCon US Travel Grant?
- What if I need help with a US visitor visa?
- Can I be reimbursed for food?
- How do I provide a hotel receipt when I haven’t checked out yet?
- Can I be reimbursed for bus, train, mileage, or parking if I am not flying to PyCon US?
- What if my receipt is larger than my grant amount?
- Should I register for the conference before I find out if my travel grant application has been approved?
- If my grant is approved, how do I register for the conference?
- How do I upload my receipts for reimbursement?
- What if I don’t come to PyCon US?
- How do I receive my travel grant disbursement?
Answers
Q: When/how can I apply for a PyCon US Travel Grant?
A. Here are important dates around the travel grant process:
- December 11, 2025: Travel grant applications open
- February 25, 2026: Travel grant applications close on February 25th
- March 11, 2026: Travel grants awarded
- March 20, 2026: Deadline to accept / decline travel grants
- March 20, 2026: Receipts and Secure Document portals open
- May 2026: Disbursement
Please ensure you can receive emails from pycon-aid@python.org; the Travel Grant team will send email communications regarding updates and information about awards, receipt uploads, and disbursement sessions from this email address.
Q: Are there limits to how much funding I may receive?
A: We ask that applicants adjust the amount requested to $2,000 USD or less for international travel and $1,500 or less for US domestic travel. Please let us know if there are extenuating circumstances that may make the trip more expensive.
Possible ways to reduce expenses:
- Adjust travel dates to obtain lower airfare.
- Consider attending a PyCon local to you.
If you have already submitted an initial request, you may adjust it by logging in to the PyCon US dashboard. Please make adjustments to your application by February 25, 2026. Feel free to contact us with any questions.
Q: What kind of costs are covered by the PyCon US Travel Grant?
- Airfare
- Economy-class tickets for travel to/from airports near Long Beach, CA, including Los Angeles (LAX)
- Eligible flights should arrive and depart within 1-3 days of conference attendance
- Flights with layovers for more than 2 days will be reimbursed at the rate of a direct, round-trip ticket
- Bus, train, mileage, or parking expenses for getting to the conference are eligible for reimbursement only if they are submitted in lieu of airfare, and if the cost is less than round-trip economy airfare.
- Ineligible costs
- Paid seat assignments
- Baggage fees
- Personal or business trip airfare
- Airport lounge access Fees
- On-board/Airport/Hotel WiFi Charges
- Lodging
- Hotels, motels, hostels, AirBnB, etc. within 10 miles of the convention center for the days you attend the conference. Any lodging costs incurred in other cities due to visa appointments, layovers, driving to the conference, etc, will be the responsibility of the travel grant recipient.
- You are encouraged, but not required, to use the PyCon US room booking service.
- If you share a room with anyone else, PyCon US travel grants are limited to your portion of the shared room.
- Lodging reimbursement is limited to a maximum of $347 USD per night including taxes.
The following costs are not covered by the PyCon US travel grant program:
- Trip insurance
- Paid/upgraded seats on airplanes
- Baggage fees
- Food and beverage or meal per diems
- Taxis/Uber/Lyft to/from lodging to the convention center or airport or home to airport
- Airport Lounge Access Fees
- On-board/Airport/Hotel WiFi Charges
- Cellular roaming/international charges
- COVID-19 vaccines, tests, masks, or other medical supplies
If you use points or rewards to offset the cash paid for a valid travel cost, PyCon US will reimburse you for the cost prior to points or rewards application. For example, if your airfare costs $500 and you use $200 in points and $300 in cash to pay for the airfare, the PSF will reimburse $500 (up to the travel grant award amount).
Any receipt that is in non-USD currency will be reimbursed at the foreign currency amount converted to USD as of the date of the receipt.
If there are any ambiguities, final discretion lies with the PyCon US Travel Grant Team.
Q: What if I need help with a US visitor visa or invitation letter?
A: PyCon US can provide you with a “Visa Letter” or an “Invitation Letter” to support a United States visitor visa application. Visa letters can be requested once you have a fully paid and confirmed conference registration. The letter confirms that as a registered delegate, you are invited to attend by the Python Software Foundation (PSF) and the PyCon US 2026 Committee.
Invitation letters can be requested in lieu of a “Visa Letter” if you do not have a confirmed, paid conference registration and are still waiting to register for any reason at the time of your request. The letter serves as an invitation from the Python Software Foundation (PSF) and the PyCon US 2026 Committee to register for and attend the conference, but cannot confirm your participation.
Please fill out this form to request a Visa Letter or an Invitation Letter
Q: Can I be reimbursed for food?
A: PyCon US 2026 travel grants do not include reimbursements for beverages, food, or meal per diems.
Q: How do I provide a hotel receipt when I haven’t checked out yet?
A: A reservation confirmation may be submitted as a receipt. The reservation confirmation should include the name and address of the lodging provider, check-in and check-out dates, number of occupants, and the amount charged per day.
Q: Can I be reimbursed for bus, train, mileage, or parking if I am not flying to PyCon US?
A: PyCon US 2026 travel grants provide reimbursements for bus, train, mileage, or parking only if the travel grant recipient is using one of these methods of transportation instead of airfare and the cost is less than or equal to a round-trip economy airfare to/from PyCon US 2026.
Q: What if my receipt is larger than my grant amount?
A: You can upload a receipt for an amount larger than your grant. You will only be reimbursed up to the award amount.
Q: Should I register for the conference before I find out if my travel grant application has been approved?
A: No, please do not register for the conference before travel grants are awarded.
Q: If my grant is approved, how do I register for the conference?
A: Please wait to register until after you have received a travel grant decision.
To register, log into your PyCon US dashboard and go to the Registration Tab. Enter the Promo Code provided to you in the Travel Grant email on the registration page where requested. You will receive an option for complimentary conference registration.
If you registered prior to receiving a travel grant, please contact the registration team (pycon-reg@python.org) with the email address you used to register. Your existing registration will be adjusted to reflect the Travel Grant Award and you will receive a refund for the amount you paid.
Q: May I donate my travel grant or complimentary registration to another person?
A: PyCon US travel grants are intended only for the individual who applied; the travel grant award and conference registration voucher codes are non-transferable.
Q: How do I upload my receipts for reimbursement?
A: If you are offered a travel grant, log into your PyCon US dashboard to accept it. Then click on the “Upload Receipt” link on your dashboard.
Receipts must include the following:
- Your full name
- Name of the service provider (i.e., hotel name, airline name, etc.)
- The date of the transaction
- The amount of the transaction
- Airfare receipts should include your origin and destination locations and dates of travel
- Lodging receipts should include the dates of your stay and the number of people staying in the room
Q: What if I don’t come to PyCon US?
A: If you do not register and attend PyCon US, you will not receive your grant. Please notify the Travel Grant Committee (pycon-aid@python.org) that you cannot attend so that we can redistribute funds to other applicants.
Q: How do I receive my travel grant disbursement?
A: Information about disbursement will be available here closer to the conference.