Event Travel Stipends
Visit. It’s on us.
Simon Business School offers travel stipends for participants of our on-campus weekend events. Eligibility is reserved for approved travel costs from individuals traveling more than 200 miles (one way) to Rochester, NY, and who have a US mailing address (see the "Eligible Travel Stipend Costs" below for details). Travel stipends must be requested two weeks in advance, and requests made after the event has passed will not be approved.
If you have questions regarding these policies, please contact us at events@simon.rochester.edu or (585) 275-3533.
Requesting a Travel Stipend
Once registered to attend an event, follow the steps below to request a travel stipend:
1. You will have the opportunity to submit a travel stipend request after registering for the event—keep an eye on your email. You will include a proposed itinerary with the total cost of an air, bus, or train ticket or your total mileage if driving (include Google map driving directions to University of Rochester from current location).
2. Once your travel stipend amount is approved, send the following information* to events@simon.rochester.edu:
> Final ticketed itinerary that includes your name, dates and times of travel, the total cost, and payment
> Current personal mailing address and phone number
*Please note: If we have not received any information outlined in the bullets above by the start date of the event, your stipend will not be processed.
3. Registrants will receive up to a $400 travel stipend** (i.e., if your ticket cost exceeds the stipend amount you’re awarded, you are responsible for paying the remaining balance—please see the “Eligible Travel Stipend Costs” list for more details).
4. Stipends will be processed after the event takes place. Please allow up to six weeks after the date of the event for processing and receipt of the reimbursement check to the address provided.
**Please note: Attendees must participate in 100 percent of the in-person event to be reimbursed for travel costs. Multiple visits to campus will result in a lower stipend amount for a subsequent visit.
Eligible Travel Stipend Costs
Eligible costs may include air, bus, train, or automobile travel. Some costs are not eligible.
Air, bus, or train travel costs:
- If flying, only direct route, economy tickets to and from the Greater Rochester International Airport (ROC) will be eligible for a travel stipend (direct route refers to tickets not containing a layover in excess of 6 hours); you will need to show proof that you paid with a card
- If traveling by bus or train, only direct route, economy tickets to and from Rochester, NY, will be eligible for a travel stipend (direct route refers to tickets not containing a layover in excess of 6 hours); you will need to show proof that you paid with a card
Automobile travel costs:
- Only direct routes from home address to Simon Business School will be eligible for a travel stipend
- Percentage of total mileage (calculated by $0.33 per mile; tolls are included in the mile rate and not covered separately)
Simon Business School will not reimburse:
- Travel booked with credit card points, rewards account points, residual travel funds, or gift cards
- Fuel or gas costs
- Tolls (they are included in the mileage reimbursement rate, not reimbursed separately)
- Business class upgrades
- Travel booked with peers—all transactions must be individual
- Any ridesharing expenses (Uber, Lyft, etc.)
- Ground transportation to and from airports or train stations*
- Transportation to and from optional programming
- Parking at airports or train stations
- Parking at the hotel (e.g., valet parking, parking garage, or other parking fees)
- Meals (other than those provided by Simon Business School during event)
- Telephone calls, internet usage, incidentals, or other miscellaneous expenses
- Rental cars
- In-flight movies, snacks, and/or alcoholic beverages
- Travel insurance fees
- Penalties or fees that result from changes to—including cancelation of—transportation tickets (we strongly recommend securing refundable tickets in case travel plans change)
- Checked baggage fees
- Guest travel expenses
*Note that the Greater Rochester International Airport (ROC) is only a 5–10 minute drive from campus, and the Amtrak Train Station is only a 10–15 minute drive from campus; you can use the complimentary hotel shuttle (if available) or a ridesharing service, such as Uber or Lyft, for transportation to and from the airport/train station. As mentioned above, these costs will not be reimbursed.