Your AOA+ travel grant details are here—AOA+ 2026 in Phoenix

When it comes to optometry’s future, the AOA is all in.  

How so? Well, the AOA aims for over 2,000 AOA+ attendees at Optometry’s Meeting® in Phoenix next year to participate in this early career-defining experience—and the AOA’s committed to covering your ticket. 

Today, the AOA announces official AOA+ travel grant details to ensure over a quarter of the entire optometry student population, as well as early career doctors and optometric educators, can attend this impactful programming. Here’s the jist: 

• Optometry students. Eligible for regional grants totaling $500, $750 or $850, while 2026 graduates receive up to $1,000.  
• Early-career doctors. Eligible for $500 travel grants and half-off early-bird registration for Optometry’s Meeting.
• Optometric educators. Eligible for $500 travel grants and half-off early-bird registration for Optometry’s Meeting. 

This limited number of grants will be available when registration opens for Optometry’s Meeting in January 2026. So be ready to act fast to secure your grants for this must-attend experience for optometry’s next generation. 

In fact, for nearly a decade, AOA+ has empowered over 4,500 students and early-career optometrists, serving as the essential, high-impact bridge from optometry school to a successful practice.  

"AOA+ is an exceptional opportunity to get connected in the broader profession,” says AOSA President James Chung, a student at The Ohio State University College of Optometry. “At AOA+ in Phoenix, you will get to focus on the impact of grassroots advocacy in optometry. We are the future of the profession, and it is our responsibility to be ready to step up and lead when our turn comes—and what better opportunity to see what that takes than at AOA+? All of optometry’s newest generation of doctor-leaders can point to an AOA+ experience over the past decade as having shaped their careers, so I encourage all my student colleagues to take this opportunity and see how AOA+ in Phoenix will shape yours.” 

Glimpse the AOA+ 2026 experience 

AOA+ in Phoenix is where future optometrists will gain the skills to become our profession’s next generation of frontline clinicians, leaders and advocates. The 2026 program is packed with engaging sessions and opportunities, including: 

Wednesday, June 17 – The Kick Off 

Join thousands of doctors and industry professionals for the official start of Optometry’s Meeting, the Opening General Session, on Wednesday evening. 
 

Thursday, June 18 - Leadership in Action 

Start your day with a Coffee Connection, a regional student networking opportunity, then dive deep into advocacy with the AOA’s Leadership Lab: From Campus to Capitol program, a dynamic session featuring keynote speakers and a panel discussion on personal advocacy journeys and legislative success. In the afternoon, explore Student-Recommended Education Sessions covering topics like communication, business operations, emotional intelligence and career exploration. Then, end the day with an energetic student quiz bowl and post-event reception. 
 

Friday, June 19 – Future Focus Friday 

Tap into more Student-Recommended Education Sessions, then immerse yourself in a myriad of AOA+ activations in the Eye Care Square exhibit hall where you can get a professional headshot, practice mock interviews, refine your LinkedIn profile and even simulate starting your first practice. Connect with your state affiliate in the Leadership Zone and explore career pathways and opportunities at the Residency Summit. Then cap it off with the AOA+ Town Hall: Your Voice, Your Future, an open mic session with AOA leadership where your ideas shape the future of AOA+ programming, and the All-Student Group Photo to plant your flag that you were at AOA+ 2026. 

AOA+ is more than just an event; it’s an investment in your future. Connect with peers, gain practical skills, make your voice heard and experience the energy of a national optometric conference designed for you. Take your next steps in optometry at AOA+. 

Your first step to AOA+ is securing a travel grant 

The AOA believes that financial constraints shouldn’t stand in the way of your professional growth and engagement with optometry. That’s why the AOA will award over 2,000 AOA+ Travel Grants to eligible optometry students, new doctors and optometric educators—your ticket to this incredible experience.  

AOA+ Travel Grants will be made available on a first-come, first-served basis when registration opens for Optometry’s Meeting in January 2026. Grants go quickly, so be ready to act. 

• Sign up for an early registration alert. Want to make sure you get an AOA+ Travel Grant? The easiest way is to sign up for an early registration alert—the AOA will email you in January for your priority registration window for Optometry’s Meeting. Registration for the meeting automatically secures your AOA+ Travel Grant. 

Learn more about AOA+ Travel Grants at the Optometry’s Meeting website.