Scholarships
Building connections between our state’s diverse cities and towns and supporting members with data-driven education are integral to the mission of AWC. Our in-person conferences are a critical piece of fulfilling that mission, and we want to ensure that finances are not a barrier to our members taking part in these important events. To that end, we provide a variety of scholarship options for our member cities including:
Learn more about each of these scholarship programs below.
First-time Attendee Scholarships
AWC is pleased to offer first-time attendee scholarships for registration and travel costs from cities that are not able to cover the costs to attend the 2025 City Action Days in Lacey. This scholarship opportunity is available to first-time attendees who are elected officials. Scholarship funds are intended to remove barriers to attendance and to help city members engage with AWC, connect with peers, and bring new skills and knowledge back to their communities.
Scholarship funds are limited and deadlines apply. Registration opened Wednesday, November 13 and applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until scholarship funds are exhausted.
AWC is actively working to remove barriers to member participation. If you have other barriers preventing you from attending the conference, please let us know so that we may attempt to accommodate your needs.
Criteria for awarding scholarships
Scholarship recipients must be an elected official from a member city who is a first-time event attendee of AWC City Action Days. Preference will be given to new elected officials from cities with demonstrated financial hardship.
Due to limited funding, AWC may apply additional criteria at its discretion. Denial of a scholarship may be due to various reasons such as significant demand, lack of funds, or multiple applications from a city or region.
What the scholarship covers
If a scholarship is awarded, AWC will cover the cost of the full registration free of charge.
Scholarships granted that include travel reimbursement will be confirmed at the time the scholarship is awarded, and may include the following:
- Mileage to/from city hall to the conference location or a stipend for airfare. (Mileage to/from hotel and conference location is not provided.)
- Lodging for up to two nights (lodging per diem for the Lacey area is $151 per night , which includes all taxes and fees). Scholarship recipients are responsible for arranging their own accommodations and paying all costs. Learn more about conference lodging.
This scholarship does not include reimbursement for any other costs such as meals (unless provided in conjunction with the City Action Days registration fee), parking, miscellaneous transportation (e.g., shuttle or ride-share etc. Travel reimbursement will not be provided if the recipient is unable to attend.
AWC will only grant reimbursement through the member city; not the scholarship recipient.
Application process
To apply, complete this brief application form. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until scholarship funds are exhausted. Please allow up to three weeks for application review.
Contact: registration@awcnet.org
Small City Scholarship Program
The Small City Scholarship program assists small cities and towns that need financial assistance to attend AWC events. To be eligible, a city or town must have a population of 5,000 or less and have a financial hardship. The scholarship covers the cost of registration only. Scholarships are limited to one per city, per event, with up to four per city, per year and are based on available funds. AWC reserves the right to limit the number of scholarships used on a single event.
It is easy to access a Small City Scholarship – you just need the appropriate code. (See individual registration page for information.) If you register using a scholarship and do not attend, the city will be charged a cancellation fee.
Contact: registration@awcnet.org
Washington Cities Scholarship Program
The Washington Cities Scholarship program assists cities over 5,000 in population in attending AWC training when a city is unable to cover the full cost of the event. The Washington Cities Scholarship will discount a city 50% of the registration fee upon approval. The scholarship funds are available for major AWC conferences and signature events, including pre and post conference workshops occurring during the year.
Denial of a scholarship may be due to various reasons such as significant demand for a particular conference or workshop, lack of scholarship funds, and/or multiple scholarships provided to a particular jurisdiction. To apply, simply email registration@awcnet.org and note the following:
- Name and contact information of attendee.
- Desired conference or event to attend.
- If the attendee has attended the conference or event before.
- Brief explanation of city’s financial need, including whether the city has funds available for education and training.
RMSA Scholarship Program
RMSA provides scholarships to help members attend pre-approved workshops and trainings. Scholarships are available on a first-come-first-serve basis.
RMSA provides financial assistance opportunities for the following events:
- Labor Relations Institute
- AWC Annual Conference
- RMSA Annual Meeting
- AWC Member Expo
- Other trainings – prior RMSA approval required
Apply for a scholarship now!
Contact: RMSA staff, (360) 753-4137, rmsa@awcnet.org
Employee Benefit Trust Scholarship Program
The Trust provides scholarships to members for all Trust-sponsored trainings. Scholarships to wellness trainings are provided only to members with medical coverage.
- AWC Member Expo
- Wellness Planning Forums
- Health Care Regional Forums
- Webinars
- Healthy Worksite Summit
No application required.