There are just two weekends left to apply for NIRSA Foundation scholarships and travel grants! The application deadline is Tuesday, December 3.

The NIRSA Foundation is excited to offer six more full-registration scholarships than last year! For 2020, there are 46 student and 27 professional registration scholarship opportunities as well as 25 additional student awards for the J. Michael Dunn Preconference Workshop at the 2020 NIRSA Annual Conference & Campus Rec and Wellness Expo. NIRSA Foundation student scholarships are available to NIRSA 2020, and professional scholarships are available to a variety of NIRSA educational events.

Seven professional member travel grants, presented by Core Health & Fitness, are also available to cover travel and lodging costs to the 2020 NIRSA Annual Conference & Campus Rec and Wellness Expo, the Association’s premier professional development event.

New scholarship opportunities for 2020

The NIRSA Foundation Board of Directors is committed to providing NIRSA members with meaningful opportunities for professional development. Thanks to the generosity of NIRSA Foundation donors, the Board is excited to announce the following new scholarship offerings for 2020:

  • Through its hard work and fundraising at NIRSA 2019, the 2018–2019 NIRSA Student Leadership Team secured enough donations to provide seven “Give to Grow” Scholarships to NIRSA 2020. A scholarship will be awarded to a student from each NIRSA region.
  • The Salado/Texas Endowment will offer two student and two professional scholarships to the Annual Conference for 2020.
  • The NIRSA Foundation will award five student and eight professional NIRSA Foundation General Scholarships to NIRSA 2020.

Remember, applicants fill out a common application that puts them in the running for all scholarships for which they are eligible. Student applicants must additionally submit a résumé and statement of support hand-signed by the director of their recreation department. The deadline to apply is Tuesday, December 3.

In addition to having their event registration fees covered, scholarship and travel grant recipients receive unique opportunities for professional development and networking through this program – opportunities which have a direct impact on campus rec programing.

“Receiving this scholarship emphasized the fact that I am part of the NIRSA family and the work I do does impact the field of campus recreation,” says Jessica Kiss, 2019 Barbara Brimi Heritage Scholarship recipient and instructor at Bowling Green State University. “I was the Exercise is Medicine on Campus session monitor at the Annual Conference last year. Listening to this presentation helped me bring the idea back to my campus recreation department and get our application for Exercise is Medicine on Campus submitted! Our university recently has been approved as an Exercise is Medicine on Campus Registered School. This scholarship provided the opportunity to attend NIRSA last year, present, and bring a fantastic initiative back to my campus. What a great experience!”

Supporting the NIRSA family

NIRSA Foundation registration scholarships and travel grants are made possible thanks to the incredible generosity of our donors and corporate partners. You can help expand scholarship opportunities for your NIRSA family and the next generation of campus rec leaders by making a gift today. The future starts with you!

 

Jeff Huskey is currently the Director of Recreation at the University of California-Santa Barbara. He is the Chair of the NIRSA Foundation Scholarship Committee. Max Miller, RCRSP, is currently Assistant Director of Athletics for Recreation & Wellness at Swarthmore College. He is Chair of the NIRSA Foundation Travel Grant Committee.