Scholarship Terms & Conditions
General Scholarship Terms & Conditions:
- Scholarships will be awarded to qualified, active members of OVBTA to advance their career in the business travel industry.
- Applicants must be a current active member of OVBTA in good standing at the time the application is submitted, the scholarship awarded, and the funds dispersed.
- Applicant may not have been a recipient of a scholarship in the previous 2 years (2024 & 2025).
- Scholarship funds will be allocated based on the quality and content of an application and travel industry professional development needs.
- Scholarships will be awarded in various amounts based on need and reimbursed with receipts upon completion and/or attendance.
- Scholarships cannot be applied to courses already completed.
- Scholarships are given to an individual, are not transferrable and may not be used for anything other than for what was originally applied.
- Applicant must comply with all schedules and requirements pertaining to the scholarship application process.
- After completion of the program/course/certificate/certification for which the scholarship was used, the recipient must share their experience at the first available OVBTA meeting and/or must write a short article about their experience for the OVBTA newsletter.
Application Submission Process:
1. Deadline for submission of OVBTA's scholarships is Friday, April 3, 2026:
2. Complete the Online Application & essay, as outlined on the application page. Please read directions carefully and provide answers to the specific essay question. Essay answers not applicable to the question will not be counted as part of the final score.
Questions can be sent to [email protected] and this email address will be maintained by the Scholarship Chairperson Cathy Riedel and Communications Chair Chuck Bushley.
Application Review Process:
1. Full applications are treated as privileged communication and are restricted to: Cathy Riedel, Scholarship Chairperson & Jamey Harker, President.
2. To maintain fair and non-biased judging, the applicant's name will be removed and assigned a number in its place. The (numbered) application will be forwarded to the Evaluation Committee for review.
3. Once the application is reviewed, and either approved or denied, the applicant will be notified by Cathy Riedel.
4. Scholarships are awarded on a first-come, first-serve and merit basis.
The decision of OVBTA to grant or not to grant a scholarship rests within the sole and unfettered discretion of OVBTA, shall be final and binding, and shall not be subject to challenge in any court for any reason.
Scholarship Funds Disbursement:
1. Recipients will need to use the scholarship funds in 2026, otherwise they will be forfeited.
2. Recipient must pay for their selected educational program/event directly and submit proper documentation showing the program/event was completed.
3. An expense reimbursement form will be provided to each recipient. Scholarship funds will apply to tuition, registration and travel expenses. Original or scanned receipts will be required for reimbursement. The final deadline for submission of receipts for reimbursement is December 15, 2026.
4. An OVBTA check will be sent directly to the recipient once proper documentation has been received by the OVBTA Treasurer.
5. Scholarship reimbursement requests must be submitted no more than (30) days after the event for which the scholarship was awarded. Reimbursement requests submitted after that time will be declined, the recipient will forfeit the scholarship funds and fees associated to the program/event will be the sole responsibility of the participant.
