Financial Aid FAQ

**Q. Should I register for the conference before I find out if my financial aid application has been approved?** **A.** No — Financial Aid applicants do *not* need to register in the fear that the conference will sell out! We set aside tickets for Financial Aid recipients at a reduced rate of $50. Please note: in the event your financial aid application is not approved, and you still plan to attend, you will need to purchase a ticket at the regular rate. The ticket can also be filed for reimbursement (you will be reimbursed either the grant amount, or the total amount you have filed for reimbursement, whichever is lower). **Q. Where can I find out the status of my grant application?** **A.** Application status and other options can be found on your [dashboard](https://us.pycon.org/2018/dashboard/"dashboard"). **Q. If I request more funds after my grant has been approved, will that affect my current grant?** **A.** If you can not attend on your current grant, you may optionally request additional funds through the PyCon website dashboard instead of accepting or declining your grant. We can not guarantee that we will be able to accommodate you, since our budget is tightly stretched. This will put you in a second funding round where we try to redistribute funds from people who have declined their grants. Please note that if you are requesting more funds, and we are unable to allocate more funds, your previous grant will no longer be available; this option is only intended for people who would not be able to attend PyCon on their current grant. **Q. What if I need help with a US visitor visa?** **A.** We can provide you with an "Invitation Letter" upon request, in support of an application for a United States visitor visa. It confirms that as a registered delegate you are invited to attend by the Python Software Foundation (PSF) and the PyCon 2018 committee. **Q. After my grant is approved, how do I register for tutorials at the discounted rate?** **A.** Log into your PyCon [dashboard](https://us.pycon.org/2018/dashboard/"dashboard") and go to the [Registration](https://us.pycon.org/2018/registration/") Tab. Enter the Promo Code provided to you in the Financial Aid email on the registration page where requested. You will receive the option for the Financial Aid discounted registration. Registration is separate from clicking the link, since some people will already be registered by the time they accept financial aid. You should be able to register through [Registration](https://us.pycon.org/2018/registration/"), which at some point will ask for a promo code. - If you registered prior to receiving financial aid, please contact the Financial Aid committee with the email address you used to register, and we will put you in touch with the relevant people. **Q. How do I upload my receipts for reimbursement?** **A.** If your application has been approved, and you have accepted, you can log into to your PyCon dashboard and click on the "Upload Receipt" link on your [dashboard](https://us.pycon.org/2018/dashboard/"dashboard"). Please note that **all receipts must have your full name on them**. We cannot process your reimbursement if your name is not on the receipt. **Q. Why do I need to upload my receipt for registration? Don't you guys already have it on record?** **A.** This is due to compliance with IRS rules. If you don't upload your registration receipt, it will not be counted towards your grant. **Q. Can I be reimbursed for food?** **A.** Yes. We can add a per-diem cost for food to count for your expenses (the current IRS rate for Cleveland, OH is $69/day). It's automatically applied if and only if the total of receipts for flight, lodging + (optionally) conference pass do not exceed the grant amount. **Q. How do I upload a hotel receipt when I haven’t yet checked out?** **A.** A credit card secured reservation is an acceptable expense receipt. The receipts need to add up to or greater than your grant amount before we can issue your grant (to show that the grant is a reimbursement and not an income, to the IRS). **Q. Can I be reimbursed for mileage?** **A.** Yes. We only ask for a list of expenses to cover IRS reporting requirements (essentially, to demonstrate that this is a reimbursement and not taxable income). Therefore, we can use the same mileage/gas rules as the IRS normally allows. **Q. What if I don’t come to PyCon?** **A.** If you do not register and attend PyCon, you will not receive your grant. **Q. Why can’t I upload my receipts?** **A.** You must remember to accept your grant by the deadline or you will not be able to upload receipts for reimbursement. **Q. What if my receipt is larger than my grant amount?** **A.** You can upload a receipt (example - airfare) for an amount larger than your grant, but you will only be reimbursed for the amount you were awarded. **Q. How do disbursements work?** **A.** Disbursement of funds will be onsite during the conference in USD. You can choose between receiving a physical check on-site or a Paypal transfer. No funds will be disbursed prior to the event. Only those that have filed their disbursements (with receipts) will be reimbursed. **Q. Is there a bank where I can cash my financial aid check without a fee? **A.** The PSF has a banking relationship with Fifth Third Bank, which will cash PSF checks for travel grants and financial aid without charging a check cashing fee. The 600 E. Superior Ave. location is ready to welcome PyCon attendees. You will need a government-issued ID to cash checks if you live in the United States and a passport if you live outside of the United States. Please let Phyllis Dobbs (phyllis@python.org) know if you have any issues with cashing your check. > Branch location: [600 E. Superior Ave. Cleveland, OH 44114][1] > Branch telephone: (216) 274-5533 > Branch hours: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday-Friday, Closed Saturday/Sunday > [Fifth Third Bank locations website][2] [1]: http://www.google.com/maps/place/ATM+(Fifth+Third+Bank)/@41.5020139,-81.6927311,16z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x2b358770df15bb87!8m2!3d41.5010597!4d-81.6898741 [2]: http://locations.53.com