We know that paying for your attendance and travel to National Conference can be difficult for some.  We aim to keep conference costs low for attendees, we know that other costs such as transportation and accommodations can add up. We want to make the conference experience  as great as it possibly can be and we hope that some of these financial assistance options will prove to be beneficial for you.

CORPORATE CHAPTER SCHOLARSHIPS

If you live within one of SBA’s Corporate Chapter service areas (CA, DC, ID, MD, MI, NC, NV, SC, UT, VA, and WV), you may be eligible to apply for an up to $1,000 scholarship to help cover your registration, travel, and/or hotel costs for the 2016 National Conference. Each Corporate Chapter has its own scholarship application. Visit the Chapter Scholarship page for more information on scholarship policy and applications.

CLUBS AND ASSOCIATIONS

Some charitable organizations offer scholarships or grants for patients or patient families to attend medical conferences. Many of the following organizations have a local chapter and would best be sought after at that level.

FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNTS

The IRS allows Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) to be used to attend medical conferences.  FSA funds can be used for admission and transportation to a medical conference if the individual or immediate family member has the condition that the conference is related to.  If you or any of your family members participate in FSA’s at your place of employment youcan use the money in your FSA as a stipend to attend  Conference.

INDIVIDUAL WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION IMPROVEMENT ACT (IDEIA)

Each year, money is set aside in the IDEIA budget to support parent involvement.  This money is used for parents who have children with disabilities and special needs and can be used stipends to attend medical conferences. You will need to engage with the local Director of Special Education or the District Superintendent to ask them to sponsor your attendance to the conference as a parent with IDEIA assistance funds.

OTHER OPTIONS

  • There are some treatment clinics that provide grants to patients to further the education of patients with chronic medical conditions.
  • Some state governments offer assistance for individuals to attend medical conferences through their agencies for aging and/or disability services. Maryland, New Jersey, and Texas all have financial assistance options.
  • Consider a GoFundme page! Invite your family and friends to help support you for this conference and let them know why it’s important to you!

if you have any concerns regarding the information on this page please contact sbaconference@sbaa.org

We hope to see you there!