The American Optometric Association (AOA) and the American Optometric Student Association announced plans to offer more than 2,000 travel grants for attendees of AOA+ at Optometry’s Meeting 2026, taking place June 17-20 in Phoenix, AZ.

The organizations say the grants are intended to help reduce travel costs for optometry students, early career optometrists, and optometric educators participating in the AOA+ program. Travel grant eligibility will open in January 2026 when registration for Optometry’s Meeting goes live. Grants will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.

According to the AOA, more than 4,500 doctors of optometry have taken part in AOA+ programming since its launch at Optometry’s Meeting 2017 in Washington, D.C. The program is designed to connect students and new practitioners with established leaders in the profession while offering career development and networking opportunities.

Optometry’s Meeting, the profession’s annual conference, features continuing education sessions, professional development programs, an exhibit hall, and leadership activities for doctors, paraoptometrics, students, and industry representatives.

The 2026 AOA+ schedule will begin with the Opening General Session, followed by several days of programming. Planned activities include advocacy-focused sessions, student-recommended education courses, networking events, leadership discussions, and skills-focused activities such as mock interviews, headshot opportunities, and LinkedIn profile reviews. Additional events include a Residency Summit, a student quiz competition, and the AOA+ Town Hall.

Individuals interested in receiving a travel grant can sign up for an early registration alert, which will provide advance access to the registration window. For more information about AOA+ and the travel grants, click here.