ICMA Member Partners Program scholarship deadline is August 9, 2024.

The application period is closed for the Early Career Professional Scholarship, Workplace Diversity Scholarship, Small Community Employee Scholarship, and Edwin O. Stene Scholarship.

Limited resources are a challenge for many ICMA members in their pursuit of gaining the tools they need to better manage their communities. In order to help members experience the difference that the ICMA Annual Conference has made for so many others, ICMA offers the opportunity to apply for conference assistance.

Scholarship Categories

You may apply for more than one category if you meet the requirements; however, you may only be awarded one scholarship.

Early Career Professional Scholarship

Open to any ICMA member with three (3) years or less experience as a full-time local government employee.

What’s Included

Complimentary registration to the ICMA 2024 Annual Conference

A travel stipend to assist with travel costs

There is no minimum salary requirement, although salary might be considered during the evaluation process.

  1. Be a member of ICMA at time of application.
  2. Be a full-time local government employee (not a part-time employee, intern or fellow).
  3. Submit a completed application.
  4. Write a 500-word (or less) essay demonstrating an avid interest in a career in local government management and a need for financial assistance to attend the annual conference.
  5. Must not have attended an in-person ICMA Annual Conference in the past five years (excluding attendance as fellow or student).
  6. Submit a biography and head shot upon receipt of a scholarship.
  7. Post on social media about the conference to your preferred social media source once a day.

Eligible candidates may submit an application to multiple categories if they meet the requirements; however, candidates will only be awarded one scholarship. Candidates must be ICMA members at time of application.

The application window is closed. Recipients will be informed of their award no later than August 1, 2024.

  1. Go to ICMA.org and click LOG IN
  2. Enter the Email Address and Password for your ICMA account (You must be an ICMA member and logged into the ICMA website in order to submit an application.)
  3. Click MY ICMA
  4. Hover your cursor over Awards and click Apply for Conference Assistance
  5. Click the APPLY button for Conference Assistance Scholarship
  6. Follow the online prompts and be sure to fill out all information
  7. Click the UPLOAD button to submit the essay. (Essay must be named with no spaces in the name of the document, i.e., SmithEssay.doc., and must have a .doc, .docx or .pdf extension)
  8. Click the SAVE button to submit your application

Workplace Diversity Scholarship

Open to an ICMA member from historically marginalized or underrepresented populations.

What’s Included

Complimentary registration to the ICMA 2024 Annual Conference

A travel stipend to assist with travel costs

Our mission is to promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace. This scholarship benefits ICMA members from historically marginalized or underrepresented populations (i.e., persons with disabilities or persons minoritized due to race, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, immigration status, or religious affiliation). It is the applicant’s responsibility to demonstrate (through additional information included in the scholarship application) how your background merits receipt of an equity scholarship and how the local government and the community served will benefit from your conference attendance. There is no minimum salary or tenure cutoff for the Workplace Diversity scholarship, although those factors may be considered during the evaluation process.

  1. Be a member of ICMA at time of application.
  2. Be a full-time local government employee (not a part-time employee, intern or fellow).
  3. Submit a completed application.
  4. Write a 500-word (or less) essay demonstrating an avid interest in a career in local government management and a need for financial assistance to attend the annual conference.
  5. Must not have attended an in-person ICMA Annual Conference in the past five years (excluding attendance as fellow or student).
  6. Submit a biography and head shot upon receipt of a scholarship.
  7. Post on social media about the conference to your preferred social media source once a day.

Eligible candidates may submit an application to multiple categories if they meet the requirements; however, candidates will only be awarded one scholarship. Candidates must be ICMA members at time of application.

The application window is closed. Recipients will be informed of their award no later than August 1, 2024.

  1. Go to ICMA.org and click LOG IN
  2. Enter the Email Address and Password for your ICMA account (You must be an ICMA member and logged into the ICMA website in order to submit an application.)
  3. Click MY ICMA
  4. Hover your cursor over Awards and click Apply for Conference Assistance
  5. Click the APPLY button for Conference Assistance Scholarship
  6. Follow the online prompts and be sure to fill out all information
  7. Click the UPLOAD button to submit the essay. (Essay must be named with no spaces in the name of the document, i.e., SmithEssay.doc., and must have a .doc, .docx or .pdf extension)
  8. Click the SAVE button to submit your application

Small Community Employee Scholarship

Open to any ICMA member serving in a small community with limited financial resources.

What’s Included

Complimentary registration to the ICMA 2024 Annual Conference

A travel stipend to assist with travel costs

There is no minimum population; however, applicants can self-select and demonstrate their need in their scholarship application. There is no minimum salary requirement, although salary might be considered during the evaluation process.

  1. Be a member of ICMA at time of application.
  2. Be a full-time local government employee (not a part-time employee, intern or fellow).
  3. Submit a completed application.
  4. Write a 500-word (or less) essay demonstrating an avid interest in a career in local government management and a need for financial assistance to attend the annual conference.
  5. Must not have attended an in-person ICMA Annual Conference in the past five years (excluding attendance as fellow or student).
  6. Submit a biography and head shot upon receipt of a scholarship.
  7. Post on social media about the conference to your preferred social media source once a day.

Eligible candidates may submit an application to multiple categories if they meet the requirements; however, candidates will only be awarded one scholarship. Candidates must be ICMA members at time of application.

The application window is closed. Recipients will be informed of their award no later than August 1, 2024.

  1. Go to ICMA.org and click LOG IN
  2. Enter the Email Address and Password for your ICMA account (You must be an ICMA member and logged into the ICMA website in order to submit an application.)
  3. Click MY ICMA
  4. Hover your cursor over Awards and click Apply for Conference Assistance
  5. Click the APPLY button for Conference Assistance Scholarship
  6. Follow the online prompts and be sure to fill out all information
  7. Click the UPLOAD button to submit the essay. (Essay must be named with no spaces in the name of the document, i.e., SmithEssay.doc., and must have a .doc, .docx or .pdf extension)
  8. Click the SAVE button to submit your application

Edwin O. Stene Scholarship

Open to graduate students who have little or no full-time experience in local government, internships excluded.

What’s Included

Complimentary registration to the ICMA 2024 Annual Conference

A travel stipend to assist with travel costs

The Edwin O. Stene Scholarship was created in 1986 to honor Dr. Edwin O. Stene, a University of Kansas professor, and his efforts in recruiting young people into the local government. The scholarship includes complimentary registration and a stipend to assist with travel costs.

The Edwin O. Stene Scholarship of $1,500 is awarded annually by ICMA to a graduate student who has little or no full-time experience in local government, internships excluded. Conference registration is included, and the stipend is intended to cover travel and lodging expenses.

The scholarship award was created in 1986 with a donation of $5,000 from KUCIMAT (Kansas University City Managers and Trainees) to honor Dr. Edwin O. Stene, a University of Kansas professor. The KUCIMAT board asked that the award be created for Dr.Stene for his dedication to recruiting young people into the local government management profession.

  1. A full-time graduate student (enrolled by the start of annual conference).
  2. Enrollment in a local government program at a college or university recognized (membership or accreditation) by the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration.
  3. Demonstration of a strong undergraduate academic record.
  4. Expressed interest in a career in local government general management.
  5. Little or no full-time experience in local government, internships excluded.

The application window is closed. Recipients will be informed of their award no later than August 1, 2024.

  1. Submit two (2) letters of recommendation
    1. A letter of sponsorship from the department head, dean, or director of the public administration/affairs/policy or related program in which the applicant is enrolled.
    2. A letter of recommendation from a local government manager, previous employer, or an additional academician.
  2. Write a 300-word (or less) essay describing your interest and career objectives in local government management.
  3. Provide unofficial undergraduate and graduate transcripts.
  4. Submit requirements via e-mail to scholarships@icma.org

Other Ways to Get Assistance

Non-members (For New Members Only)

If you have been considering joining ICMA and/or attending the annual conference, select the Join, Go, Save option on the conference registration site to save 50% off your first year annual membership fee when you attend the 2024 ICMA Annual Conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

ICMA Members in Transition

MITs are granted complimentary registration to the ICMA Annual Conference. There is a limited amount of funds available to provide travel stipends to MIT members. Contact Rosalyn Ceasar at rceasar@icma.org or 202-962-3544.

ICMA Member Partners Program

The ICMA Member Partners Program, created in the memory of Frances “Babs” Elwell, continues its mission to provide scholarships for partners of ICMA members who have never attended an ICMA Annual Conference.  Application deadline is August 9.

State Associations

Check your state association website (see list of state associations here) because many of them offer ICMA Annual Conference scholarships as well.

Affiliate Associations

Many of our affiliate associations also offer scholarships.