This year we are excited to announce a travel assistance program to make it possible for more WordPress community members to attend the annual conference. This assistance may cover all or part of the conference registration fee, travel, and/or lodging, based on need.
There are no specific requirements to apply for travel assistance — we won’t ask to see your tax returns — but we do have some goals in mind as we introduce the program. There are three areas where we especially hope to use this money:

1. Contributors to WordPress. For people who work for a WordPress-based company, coming to WCSF is an easy decision, but for contributors who volunteer and don’t have a WordPress-based day job, it can be financially daunting. As a global project, it can also be tough for those contributors who live on the other side of the planet to make the trip as easily as those in the same hemisphere.  We hope to bring as many active contributors to the event as possible.
2. Diversity. For a global project with users and contributors from many walks of life, our events are often overwhelmingly attended by able-bodied, young, white men. Since a more diverse contributor pool means a stronger project, we hope to bring more of the underrepresented voices to the event.
3. Teachers. Open source literacy is important, and the educators who are teaching WordPress to their classes are helping grow the next generation of contributors. Since we’d like to create more school education programs, bringing teachers to the event can help bridge the gap between industry and academia.

Our travel assistance team will be looking for applicants passionate about WordPress who would not be able to attend the event without financial assistance. Please indicate in the application the level of financial assistance you need, keeping in mind that we strive to accomodate the maximum number of scholarship applicants that our budget will allow. In other words, please only apply if you really can’t afford the trip, and ask for the amount you really need; don’t apply because you’d rather spend your money on video games and beer. 

Application Deadline is June 30, 2014

Prior to submitting your scholarship application:

1. Please evaluate if you will really be able to attend the event. If you decide you can’t attend after receiving a travel assistance award (travel/hotel), you will not be eligible for a WordPress event assistance in the future. We understand that situations may come up last minute, so please be considerate of other applicants and consider family and job obligations before applying.
2. It is your responsibility to research the visa requirements for your country. Please research obtaining a visa for your country prior to submitting your application, and let us know the anticipated wait time before you’ll hear back about a visa. The WordPress Foundation can provide an Invitation Letter if necessary, whether you are applying for a travel scholarship or not.
3. You must have a current passport *in your possession* with an expiration date no earlier than 3 months after the conference to apply.

Applications are now closed.