The IMTA Collegiate Travel Grant provides funding to support the attendance of collegiate members at either the MTNA National Conference in March/April or the MTNA Collegiate Pedagogy Symposium in January.
This grant is intended for individual applicants, not for entire chapters. The total amount distributed annually may not exceed the current fiscal year budget line amount (full distribution not required). The 2026-2027 budget line amount for Collegiate Travel Grants is $1,400.
Applications open on October 20 and close on November 20; recipients will be notified by December 5. Recipients must acknowledge acceptance of the award by January 12.
These dates accommodate those wishing to take advantage of the MTNA Conference Early Bird registration deadline. (Symposium does not have an early bird registration deadline.)
The application form is available below.
Approval and Notification Process
The IMTA Board approves the total amount for collegiate travel grants in the annual budget. The grant amount each year is determined by the collegiate chapter chair and the
amounts are equal for all applicants.
Applications will be awarded based upon the order in which they were received through the online application portal during the grant application period.
Applications will be granted as long as the applicants meet the required criteria:
- Being collegiate members of MTNA/IMTA at the time of the application
- Indicate plans to share their experience with other collegiate members
- Complete the application correctly and fully
The chair of the trustees will review the applications to make sure that they meet the criteria and will keep a list of the applicants by their time-stamp for all applications that are received within the designated application time period.
If more students apply than can be accommodated in the budget, the collegiate chapters chair will keep a list of all applicants in order of their time-stamp.
If any student who receives an award has to subsequently withdraw after the deadline for confirming acceptance of the award, the collegiate chapters chair will attempt to re-award the grant to the next person on the list if there is enough time for another student to receive the grant and attend the event. Re-awarding will not be guaranteed, and will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
The collegiate chapters chair will coordinate with the IMTA president, chair of trustees, and webmaster to communicate grant information to membership.
Emails with information about the grants should go out to the membership 3 times.
Each email will include info about the grants, eligibility, benefits of attending the MTNA Collegiate Symposium or National Conference, award amount, deadlines, and a link to apply for a grant. Also included in those same emails will be information about applying for funding from MTNA along with a link to this information. The IMTA president will schedule and distribute this information.
Timeline/deadlines:
- September: Initial email about collegiate membership and grant opportunities sent out.
- Early October: Email about the grant applications sent out.
- October 20-November 20: Applications will be accepted through the online application
portal. - November 13: Email about the final grant application deadline sent out.
- December 1: The chair of the trustees will send the list of all applicants and confirmation of those that are receiving awards to the collegiate chapters chair.
- December 5: The collegiate chapters chair will notify all student applicants.
- January 12: Students must accept their awards by notifying the collegiate chapters chair.
Students who apply to attend the Collegiate Symposium are encouraged to accept their award as early as possible. - January 15 or earlier: The collegiate chapters chair will confirm with the IMTA treasurer those students who have accepted their awards.
The IMTA treasurer will send out checks to the recipients approximately 30 days prior to the event they are attending. Checks for the Symposium may be delayed until students
accept their awards.
Recipient Requirements
IMTA financially supports student attendance at an MTNA event as an investment in the future of MTNA. Students may use the grant for any expenses related to the MTNA Conference or the MTNA Collegiate Symposium and are not required to document expenses with receipts.
If awarded this grant, you will be asked to fulfill the following:
- The majority of your time should be spent at the conference or symposium. Depending upon your actual travel dates and times, please represent Indiana at as many of these events as possible:
- MTNA National Conference:
- IMTA state dinner
- Collegiate Chapters reception, Collegiate Chapters Forum, or other designated collegiate sessions, and presentations by other collegiate chapters.
- MTNA Collegiate Symposium:
- Attend all relevant events.
- MTNA National Conference:
- Share details regarding your experience with your collegiate chapter at a future meeting.
- Submit a brief report/summary of your event experience within one week of your return home to the IMTA Collegiate Chapters Chair.
Unused Funds
If, for any reason, grant recipients are unable to use the funds for the intended event, the grant money must be returned to the Indiana Music Teachers Association (IMTA).
An email notification should be sent to the IMTA Collegiate Chapters Chair.
Uncashed checks should be returned to the IMTA Treasurer. If a check has already been cashed, the recipient (individual or association) must return the funds to the IMTA Treasurer via personal check, bank check, or money order, made payable to the Indiana Music Teachers Association.
All of these steps must be completed as soon as possible and postmarked or date-stamped no later than two weeks after the original event’s end date.
For questions regarding the IMTA Collegiate Travel Grant, contact the IMTA Collegiate Chapters Chair, Lori Rhoden.
IMTA Collegiate Travel Grant Application
Applications will be accepted from October 20 to November 20 and prioritized in the order received.