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Road to Nationals

    The Road to Nationals Fund

    The Road to Nationals Fund, founded by the William Woods Tate, Jr. Memorial Fund (often called “the Tate Fund”) is designed to help students attend the high school National Speech & Debate Tournament. The Road to Nationals Fund provides financial assistance to schools who are lacking financial resources to attend the National Tournament. 

    Group of students standing together in a hallway at a tournament smiling.

    The Road to Nationals Fund Application

    On average, the Road to Nationals Fund will provide awards ranging from $250 to $1,000 with $1,000 being the maximum grant amount. We anticipate that the average award amount will be around $500 per school.

    Only schools with high school students competing in the 2025 National Tournament are eligible to apply. Although others are welcome to help with application responses, we ask that each school submit only one application via a coach on record for the school.

    Recipients will be notified of the status of their application in early May, with checks to arrive in early June. Please apply early as we anticipate funding will go quickly.

    Thank you to the generosity of NSDA donors including The Julia Burke Foundation for making this possible. 

    Application Dates:

    Application opens March 10, 2025 and closes April 20, 2025.

    Apply Today!

    Preview a sample application

    2024 William Woods Tate, Jr., Memorial Fund Impact

    2024 William Woods Tate, Jr., Memorial Fund Impact: $101,150, 267 Schools

    This would be the first time in my three years coaching the team that anyone has traveled to Nationals. While we have qualified people in the past, students have declined attending due to the cost. As a team where the majority of our students come from an economically disadvantaged home, I think knowing it is possible to attend Nationals would give my other students hope that they could actually do the same.

    Frequently Asked Questions

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    Can anyone from the team submit an application? 

    No, due to the logistical nature of this opportunity, only coaches on record with the school may submit applications.
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    Do you have to be an NSDA member to apply? 

    Yes – in order to compete at Nationals, the student and school will need to be NSDA members.
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    I am a coach for a middle school program, can I apply?

    At this time, funding is reserved for high school teams attending the National tournament.
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    I am a coach for multiple schools, how can I apply for them?

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    I am a student, can I apply?

    Students are welcome to help draft verbiage for applications in partnership with coaches, however we ask that a coach on record for the school submit the final application.
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    I applied to Stay at Simpson in 2024. Am I still eligible to apply to the Tate Road to Nationals Fund? 

    Yes. Those teams who stayed at Simpson College during the 2024 National Tournament are eligible to apply for this year’s Tate Fund grant.
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    I forgot my password. How can I reset?

    Navigate to this page, select “log in” at the top right. Then select the “forgot your password?” option. Please note that the password reset email might send to your spam. If you do not receive an email within 5 minutes, you may need to add the following emails to your safe sender list. 

    noreply@smapply.net

    noreply@mail.smapply.net

    noreply@fluidreview.com

    noreply@mail.fluidreview.com

    wish@surveymonkey.mail.e.sparkpost.com

    noreply@smapply.io

    If you have submitted an application for the Keith West Memorial Fund program or the Road to Nationals Fund program in recent years, you likely already have account with the Apply platform. If you are still having trouble, please contact the site via this link.
    a

    I received money from the Road to Nationals Fund in 2024, am I eligible to receive funding this year?

    Prior Road to Nationals award winners are eligible. However, to ensure that we can support more schools and students attending the National Tournament, the Road to Nationals process considers prior Road to Nationals funding awards received when reviewing applications.
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    My school’s firewall is preventing me from accessing my Survey Monkey/Apply account – help!

    Please visit https://help.surveymonkey.com/en/apply/faqs/apply-email-troubleshooting for information that can help your school’s IT team navigate firewall issues.
    a

    My team was selected for a Road to Nationals Fund grant – when should I expect to receive my check?

    Congratulations! Checks will arrive in early-June – please follow the instructions sent to you by email (in your award notification) and be sure to provide the NSDA with a mailing address that you can access in June.
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    What if my team received a KWMF school grant in fall 2024?

    If your team received one of the $1,000 awards, you are eligible to apply for a Road to Nationals Fund grant this spring.
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    What kinds of things should I include in my application?

    Here is a PDF of the application. We are looking for information that details your team’s current funding needs and fundraising capacity. Please provide information regarding your current budget, your Nationals related expenses, team needs, and capacity to fundraise in your community. 

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    Who should I contact if I have questions or need assistance with my application?

    Support the Road to Nationals Fund