MATKA Travel Award Fund

Did you participate in a College of Architecture and Planning (CAP) Study Abroad or travel program? If so, where did you go? Did you travel to Rome or Copenhagen? France or Finland? Turkey or Mexico? Or did you participate in the Aspen Studio, or go to the Four Corners? CAP continues to provide these incredible, transformative opportunities to students, and you can help us offer even more students the opportunity to participate in CAP’s Study Abroad/Travel Programs. Awards from the MATKA Fund are intended to support students needing additional aid to cover out-of-pocket expenses related to their travel program. Expenses may include, but are not limited to airfare, meals, visa fees, and other personal expenses. Awards are intended to support students demonstrating both financial need and design promise.

The CAMPAIGN GOAL is to exceed the ENDOWMENT for this scholarship and reach $30,000—and it’s halfway there! Once endowed, the MATKA Fund can be awarded annually. The fund was established by Professors Ann Komara and Taisto Mäkelä (himself a first-generation student) who have led dozens of study abroad programs through CAP since the early 1990s. This led to the name: "Matka" is a Finnish noun meaning “travel, trip, or journey." Many students view travel experiences as financially out of reach. With your support, the MATKA can help CAP students continue engage these experiences for years to come.