All events hosted by the AOSA are meant to better connect you with this great profession and are aligned with one of our four pillars: Education, Advocacy, Student Experience, and Tools for Success. AOSA events range from large-scale national meetings to individual chapter events at each school. We encourage you to get as involved as you can.
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AOA on Capitol Hill 2025
Sept. 28-30, 2025
Grand Hyatt Washington, D.C.
🚨TRAVEL GRANT DOCUMENTATION INSTRUCTIONS HERE – ACTION REQUIRED FOR ALL STUDENTS!🚨
*Must be a US citizen to participate in Capitol Hill meetings with elected officials and staffers on Tuesday.*
Travel Grant Requirements
The AOA offers travel reimbursement for AOSA-member optometry students attending AOA on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., Sept. 28-30. Please follow these steps to be eligible for travel reimbursement.
Failure to do so may result in your grant being denied and will result in a delay of your reimbursement. Available as PDF here.
📢 Form W9 or W8-BEN
Every student must submit a current W9 or W8-BEN to be reimbursed for up to $450 in eligible travel-related expenses.
A reimbursement check will be mailed to the address you provide on this form.
W9 Secure JotForm (for US citizens)
https://form.jotform.com/223055749548162
W8-BEN Secure JotForm (for those without a social security number, or SSN)
https://form.jotform.com/223065529827058
If you are unsure which is the right choice for you, please consult a personal tax advisor.
What counts toward your reimbursement? Air travel, ground travel, and parking.
🚫Food, beverage, and entertainment are not travel-related expenses.🚫
✈️ Air Travel
⚠️ ⚠️ ⚠️ Airfare receipts must include your name as the traveler, the itinerary and payment method.⚠️ ⚠️ ⚠️
To guarantee everything you submit is included the first time, print your airline’s confirmation email to PDF. A screenshot of your transaction(s) is not sufficient.
🚕 Ground Travel
The AOA will reimburse for the following ground travel-related expenses, with appropriate documentation:
- Taxi/Uber/Lyft/shuttle service between the airport and hotel, and between hotel and meeting site, if required.
- Mileage to/from the airport.
- Parking at the airport.
- Mileage may be provided in lieu of airfare.
- Airfare comparison may be required
- You must provide dates and addresses of departure and arrival to adequately calculate mileage
- You do not get reimbursed for gas when you submit for mileage reimbursement.
🏨 Hotel Details
Grand Hyatt
1000 H St NW
Washington, DC 20001
- 🔔 Check In Guaranteed After 4pm on Sunday
- 🕒 Check Out By 11am on Tuesday
- 💳 The first person arriving to check in will need to present a Credit Card for any incidentals upon check-in. Avoid using a debit card, as a temporary hold will be placed on your account until you check out.
- 📞 Communicate with your roommates in advance regarding arrival and check-in times before the meeting. Everyone accepting AOA housing will receive an email with their roommate assignments.
Your hotel stay for Sunday night and Monday night, plus tax, are covered by the AOA as an exclusive AOSA member benefit. While we can arrange the hotel for early arrival or later departure, you will need to pay for nights before Sunday or after Monday. We can secure the same room with the same rate for you, but payment will be entirely your responsibility. Please reach out immediately to do so. No requests will be considered after Monday, September 15.
