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 in-person 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 for YWM2022-Engage (OAC’s in-person Convention) to individuals who have submitted an application.
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 us here.
Application Process
The application process is now closed. All submitted applications will then be sent to our third party review team (George Washington University) for final scoring. Applications received after this date will not be considered. The Scholarship Application is only available for online submission. If you need accommodation for submitting your application, please reach out to the OAC at (800) 717-3117 before the deadline.
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. 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.
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.
Any questions about the program may be directed to the OAC by calling (800) 717-3117 or emailing us here.
Donate to the Scholarship Fund
Consider a donation to the Convention Scholarship Program today! One hundred percent of your donation goes directly to offsetting expenses for individuals who otherwise would not be able to attend access to the priceless education and connection opportunities that OAC’s Convention has to offer.