Sample Letter to Chair

Dear [Chair’s Name],

I am writing to request departmental support for travel expenses to accompany an undergraduate student(s), NAME(S), to attend the Texas Society for Music Theory, to be held at Texas Woman’s University in Denton, Texas, February 27-28. This conference is a major professional meeting in the field of music theory and provides an exceptional educational opportunity for undergraduate students interested pursuing a master’s degree in music theory. (If you are presenting, provide that information in this paragraph as well.)

Attending an academic conference offers significant benefits for the student by providing exposure to current research and methodologies in music theory, that allows the student to engage with scholarly discourse beyond the classroom. The conference environment also fosters professional development through networking with faculty, graduate students, and peers from other institutions, helping the student better understand pathways to graduate study and academic or related professions. Finally, accompanying a faculty mentor helps demystify professional academic spaces, making participation more accessible and equitable for undergraduate students who may not otherwise envision themselves in such settings.

This travel also offers clear benefits to the university. Supporting undergraduate participation in national and regional conferences demonstrates the department’s and university’s commitment to high-impact, experiential learning. It enhances the institution’s visibility within the discipline, particularly when students attend under the mentorship of faculty and represent our program in scholarly spaces. Such opportunities contribute to student success, retention, and post-graduate placement, and they strengthen our reputation as a department that actively invests in undergraduate research and professional development.

I respectfully request funding to support travel costs associated with this conference, including transportation, lodging, and registration. Below is a breakdown of expenses.

Thank you for your consideration and for your continued support of undergraduate student development and faculty mentorship.

Sincerely,
Your Name

Total amount requested for entire trip: $498

You can submit an initial budget like this on your letter. Once approved, they may need a more detailed breakdown. See below.

Examples and information on travel and per diem follows.

How to calculate transportation

Use the following website to find standard travel and food payouts based on location and date: https://www.gsa.gov/travel/plan-a-trip/transportation-airfare-rates-pov-rates-etc/privately-owned-vehicle-pov-mileage-reimbursement?topnav=travel

Car Travel:

Use the GSA website to find standard payouts based on location and date. *You can use this to calculate different scenarios – using your car or university car. $.72 x 600 miles round trip from San Antonio to Denton, for instance= $432.
** If you are getting faculty travel funds, you can help offset this price by using your budget to pay for gas, or splitting it as shown above.

Airfare:

This is often paid for by the school, instead of reimbursing. You can do a preliminary search for days and times to get an estimate on how much it will cost. When it comes to booking, you will need a lot of information: Names as they appear on driver’s license, DOB, Phone numbers, Addresses, Emergency Contact information, and any Known Traveler or Frequent Flyer numbers. If they are still a minor, there is additional information that may be needed such as parent’s consent.
*Don’t forget to calculate per diem for travel to and from airport and other locations.

Here is a breakdown of a travel budget for travel after flying (which was purchased by the school). You can provide a similar chart when finalizing budget and travel itinerary:

NOTE: the travel budget provided is for group of 3 students who will travel together, so each number will be divided by 3 to show the individual budget. Rates taken from google search on taxi and Uber fare to and from Capital Regional Airport.

Uber transportation for 3 students	Date	Total price	Per student
From airport to lodging	6/1	$75	$25
To and from conference at MSU	6/2	$60 ($30 each way)	$20
To and from conference at MSU	6/3	$60	$20
To and from conference at MSU	6/4	$60	$20
From lodging to airport	6/5	$75	$25
Total amount			$110

Lodging

Insert amount for hotel or other options, for example:
$0. Staying with a student’s family

Or

$159/night x 3 nights at Hampton Inn East Lansing + taxes = $523 per room. 2 rooms needed.
Hotel total: $1046
Hotel total per student: $348.67

Student Conference Registration:

$10 Per student

Per diem for food

Meals and Incidentals (taken from GSA website:
https://www.gsa.gov/travel/plan-book/per-diem-rates/per-diem-rates-results?action=perdiems_report&fiscal_year=2026%20(Current%20federal%20fiscal%20year)&city=denton&state=TX&zip=
**You might request full amount or put in a smaller amount, depending on what you can ask for. It is helpful to ask for the per diem amount and they will let you know if they don’t have that kind of budget available.

Rates include first and last date of travel amounts.