To broaden participation in the Eleventh Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning (PCF11) in Gaborone, Botswana, the Commonwealth of Learning, through the PCF11 Travel Subsidy Committee, coordinates the allocation of subsidies for registration fees, accommodation, and/or airfare to enable more delegates to attend who would not otherwise be able to participate. A limited amount of funds has been allocated from within COL’s budget and from Forum sponsors for this purpose. 

The criteria used for selection are outlined below. 

All successful applicants will be required to sign an agreement that outlines the terms and conditions of the travel subsidy, including a commitment to attend PCF11 and submit a report to COL at the end of the Forum. 

Criteria for Selection 

• Submission of a fully completed application form, including a compelling rationale for how attendance at PCF11 would be beneficial. 
• Confirmation has been received that an abstract has been submitted and accepted (only one applicant may be considered for selection of co-authored papers). 
• Priority will be given to individuals who have not received sponsorship support from COL for prior PCF events. 
• Applicants must be living in and hold citizenship from a developing Commonwealth country. 
• Gender and regional balance for the Forum attendance will be taken into consideration. 
• All delegates receiving support are expected to bear some of the associated travel costs, such as visa fees, local ground transportation and medical insurance from other sources of support. 

COL reserves the right to amend the criteria subject to the amount of funds that become available to support delegates and to ensure that the programme requirements of PCF11 are resourced. 

All decisions of the PCF11 Travel Subsidy Committee will be considered final. 

Application Form 

Click on preferred format to DOWNLOAD application form:
Word DOCX                   PDF (fillable) 

Submission 

Travel sponsorship application deadline: 16 May 2025 

Please submit your completed form by email. 

Applicants will be notified as to their success or otherwise by 15 July 2025.