For many years, Escapade has maintained a scholarship program funded by generous attendee contributions and the con committee. It has assisted attendees who might not otherwise have been able to attend Escapade, from old-time fans who faced changes in their financial status to first-time fans who knew fandom only through the web.
During in-person cons, scholarships cover as much of membership and a (shared) hotel room as necessary to support the recipient; they may also cover travel costs and/or spending money for incidentals during the convention. For our online cons, scholarships cover the price of registration.
Available Scholarships
The Eartha Kitt Escapade Scholarship
To honor our commitment to diversity and inclusion, Escapade maintains a scholarship specifically to assist fans who are black, indigenous, and/or POC. Please submit the name of the recipient, the best way to contact them, an introduction, and any information on what the recipient would be most excited for at Escapade.
How to Qualify: This scholarship is open to anyone who is black, indigenous, and/or a person of color.
The Escapade Evelyn Scholarship
To honor our commitment to diversity and inclusion, Escapade maintains a scholarship specifically to assist fans who identify as non-binary or transgender. Please submit the name and preferred pronouns of the potential recipient, the best way to contact them, an introduction, and what the recipient is most excited for at Escapade.
How to Qualify: This scholarship is open to anyone identifying as non-binary or transgender.
The Sandy Herrold Memorial Scholarship
Sandy loved vidding. She loved watching vids, making vids, critiquing vids, and the entire art of the process. She loved the vid community. To honor her contributions to that community, this scholarship will assist a vidder to attend Escapade.
How to Qualify: This scholarship is open to any vidder.
The Stacy Doyle Memorial Scholarship
Stacy is another member who left us way too soon. She was friendly, creative, and generous to a fault. In her name, we bring at least one person to Escapade who would not otherwise be able to attend the convention.
How to Qualify: This scholarship is open to everyone.
Nominations
Who May Nominate?
Fans are welcome to nominate themselves or others who are interested in attending Escapade.
Expectations of Recipients
Scholarship recipients must be willing to volunteer five hours of assistance during the con.
Nominate!
When you are ready to submit your nomination, go forth and click here!
Donations
Contributions
When you contribute to the scholarship fund, 100% of your donation goes directly to recipient expenses. Any amount helps; there is no donation that is too small, and of course there is no amount that is too big!
Donate Online
If you would like to donate online, click here. Please be sure to choose the fund you would like your donation to go to from the dropdown.
Donate via Check
If you would like to donate via check, please specify “scholarship fund” in the memo field and mail your contribution to the following address:
ESCAPADE
264 SANTA MONICA WAY
SANTA BARBARA CA 93109
Scholarship Policy Statement
Escapade’s first priority when awarding scholarships is to bring new and diverse members into our community. Our second priority is to support existing members and help them remain members and attendees.
All scholarship recipients will be expected to provide five volunteer service hours before, during, or after the convention as approved by the Convention Committee and Volunteer Coordinator.
Attendees are eligible to receive 3 years of misc scholarship funds, 5 years of travel scholarship funds, 7 years of hotel scholarship, 10 years of registration. These years need not be consecutive.
Our goal is to have a minimum of four different scholarship applicants before we begin the consideration process. If we do not have enough applicants, we will scout for appropriate applicants before beginning the consideration process.
The Scholarship Coordinator does not have authority to determine scholarship recipients.
Scholarship applications will be reviewed at set periods: three months before the convention, two months before the convention, one month before the convention, and one final determination one week before the convention.
Scholarships will be determined by the needs of the recipients and the resources of the convention.
In the event of an emergency, individuals in need of financial assistance are always welcome to apply at any time before or during the convention, even if it doesn’t coincide with the schedule as listed.
Available resources will be assessed and distributed based on the following:
1. People who have never attended an in-person Escapade Convention.
2. People who have attended three or fewer in-person Escapade Conventions.
3. People who have attended four or more Escapade Conventions.
General questions regarding scholarships may be directed to the Scholarship Coordinator. Questions about scholarship policy or distribution are decided by the Escapade co-chairs and should be directed to them.
Sponsorships:
Some individuals may receive sponsorships. Sponsorships are NOT scholarships. Scholarships are determined, provided, and financed by the Escapade convention. Sponsorships, in contrast, are donated by private individuals or groups outside the convention. Any individual donor or group of donors may offer to sponsor any other individual or group and the convention may assist with coordination, especially if the donor/sponsor wishes to remain anonymous. However, Escapade convention has no authority to determine who receives this type of sponsorship, since it is donated from outside the convention. If you would like to donate to sponsor a specific person or group of persons to assist with registration costs, hotel room costs, food or parking costs, or any other type of expense, please feel free to contact the convention committee and we will be happy to assist with registration, book hotel rooms, and to contact the sponsored individual(s) on your behalf.