Your Weight Matters Convention

Convention Scholarship Program

The OAC wants to make the Your Weight Matters Convention a reality for any individual with a desire to learn more about their weight and health. The OAC is proud to offer the Convention Scholarship Program, an initiative designed to help individuals by awarding grants to fund or offset the associated expenses in attending the Convention.

The OAC believes in the high-quality education presented at the conference and the powerful impact that connecting in a community like ours can have on an individual’s life. While attending the OAC’s Convention is a great investment in your health, we understand it is often a hardship for many who attend/wish to attend. The Convention Scholarship Program is designed to open the doors up to give any individual the ability to gain the knowledge they need, without letting the expense get in the way.

 

How the Convention Scholarship Program Works

The Convention Scholarship Program will award a limited number of scholarships to individuals who submit an application by the deadline – Thursday, April 21. Applications received after this date will not be reviewed.

Convention Scholarships are awarded as stipends and specific areas for reimbursement may be indicated on the application. Scholarships provide grants for airline/mileage, housing and registration. Scholarship Awards do not have a cash value and grant monies will not be awarded directly to the recipients. Grants will be awarded in the form of reimbursement for airline/mileage expenses and/or event registration fees (travel receipts will be required and capped amounts apply). Rooms in the Convention Room Block at the Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa have already been reserved for scholarship recipients. Complete information may be found below, and any questions about the program may be directed to the OAC by calling (800) 717-3117 or emailing convention@obesityaction.org.

 

How to Apply

All applications must be completed and sent to the Scholarship Review Committee (George Washington University) by April 21. Applications received after this date will not be considered.

To complete the Convention Scholarship Online Application, please CLICK HERE.

 

Application Process

The application process will open on Thursday, April 7. Applications will be sent to the Scholarship Review Committee (George Washington University) for review by Thursday, April 21. Applications received after this date will not be considered. The Scholarship Application is available in both a PDF format and online form.

 

Evaluation Process

In order to ensure the most objective decision-making process, the OAC has selected an outside third-party to handle the review/evaluation of all Convention Scholarship applications. The OAC’s National Board, staff, and committee members do not have any involvement in the evaluation/decision process for awarding scholarships. The Obesity Research Team at the Milken Institute School for Public Health at the George Washington University will serve as the Convention Scholarship Review Committee and will handle reviewing and receiving all applications. Applications mailed or faxed will be handled by the OAC, but forwarded directly on to the Scholarship Review Committee. Given a third-party’s participation in the process, the OAC maintains its strict privacy policy and your personal information will not be shared with any outside entity other than members of the Obesity Research Team at George Washington University. In addition, your information will not be used for research purposes but will strictly be used in awarding Convention Scholarships.

Application Process Opens: Thursday, April 7
Application Deadline: Thursday, April 21
Application Third-party Review: Week of April 20
Application Status/Award Notifications Sent: Week of April 25

Once the review process is complete, Convention Scholarship award recipients will be notified by the OAC via email no later than May 6. Recipients will receive a form that acknowledges the details of the scholarship, including next steps. All individuals who submitted an application for a Convention Scholarship will be contacted by the OAC with the status of their application once the review process is complete and recipients have been notified.

Apply for a Scholarship
If you have any questions about the Convention Scholarship Program, please contact the OAC directly at (800) 717-3117 or convention@obesityaction.org.