I Went to Fiji For Free: The Surprising Way YOU Could Have, Too!
Reading Time: 6 minutes Here's how I won a free trip to Fiji, and you can too! Learn how to travel for free and even get paid to travel when you apply to PTOs.
PTO 💸🌍
No, not your work vacation time—I'm talking about paid travel opportunities! The term I invented to encompass all of the funded programs, scholarships, remote PTO, student grants, contests, and more that pay you to travel.
We bring awareness to paid travel opportunities that help you travel for school, for work, for fun—for free.
PTO PRODUCTS
Helping you apply and win, ASAP. (scroll right ➝)
POPULAR PTO RESOURCES
1
What is a PTO?
- 4 mins
2
How I Won $40K in Study Abroad Scholarships
- 5 mins
3
Study Abroad Scholarships for High School Students
- 3 mins
4
PTO for African Nationals
- coming soon
5
See Past PTO Winners!
- 1 mins
5
See Past Packs Light PTO Winners!
- 1 mins
6
How to WIN with your Video Submission
- 3 mins
6
How to WIN with your Video Submission
- 3 mins
7
How I Studied Abroad for Free in Korea... AFTER Graduation!
- coming soon
8
5 Common Application Questions to Practice Answering
- 2 mins
9
How to Travel the U.S. for Free with the Conservation Corps
- 4 mins
10
Get PAID to Teach English Abroad in Europe!
- 2 mins
watch the "What are PTO?" EXPLAINER VIDEO!
Feeling totally lost? 😅
Start with these PTO FAQ! 👇🏽
Getting started...
PTO 101
Paid travel opportunities (PTO) make travel accessible by taking away financial, logistical, and mental barriers that restrict many people! Start learning more about them:
PTO (noun): any program or opportunity that has an element of travel and is partially or completely funded, paid, or free to do. (Read more and see examples here)
The PTO Dashboard is Packs Light's database of PTO. Through the dashboard (and our Weekly PTO Newsletter) we curate information, application tips, and links for all of these incredible travel opportunities.
Do you have to be a certain citizenship to apply to job? In some cases. Packs Light's audience is 90% U.S. citizens, so the opportunities we share cater to them.
But remember: everyone may not be eligible for every opportunity, but there are opportunities for everyone.
No! There are many PTO that don't even mention age or student status as a requirement. You can be a 14-year-old high school student or 40-year-old mom and find a PTO that works for you.
Very few of these opportunities are scams, actually. You're usually trading your time and your story, or the company is getting aa tax break from offering the opportunity.
Learn more in our Finding Opportunities online course!
No. These are usually short-term, one-off opportunities that have an element of travel.
If you want to travel full-time, check out our resources on becoming a paid travel influencer, or finding a remote job and living as a digital nomad! (coming soon)
Take our free PTO Crash Course—it takes 6 minutes and will be exactly what you need to get startred!
Seeking PTO
How to find PTO that fit your dreams, wants, and needs.
Not every PTO fits every person. And even our PTO Dashboard doesn't have every single one out there! So we're teaching you how to fish for your own opportunities!
Check out our PTO Phase of Life graphic to see which PTO you should keep an out for most.
Take our Which PTO Am I? Quiz and see! (coming soon)
Rest easy: 99% of these PTO are not scams. But watch this short video with tips and things to look out for, just in case.
Learn more in our Finding PTO online course! (coming soon)
Because of the immense requests we get daily, I can only do 1-on-1 consultations via booking ($180 for 30 mins). We have so many free and paid resources to get you started right on this page! Take advantage.
Our Should I Apply? Calculator will tell you your exact chances of success. Stop wasting your time and energy, and only apply to the things you'll win!
Found in our Application Tool-Kit.
Probably. Read this caption for more reasons why you should #ApplyAnyway.
Get more information in the Finding Opportunities course (coming soon).
What gets measured, get's managed. Use an interactive spreadsheet to keep tabs on all the opportunities you're keeping aan eye on.
Grab our pre-done Opportunity Tracking Spreadsheet today!
Winning PTO
Finding them is the easy part. Actually winning? That takes strategy.
Learning, finding and making big lists of PTO means nothing if you don't actually 1) Press submit and apply, and 2) Win! We can help you with that.
Yes! Check out the Packs Light PTO Winners Wall to see past PTO Winners.
Lesson 4 of our Winning PTO online course dives head-first into how to submit a “YES!”-worthy video application, with a bonus module hosted by viral video creator Dear Alyne, who has 15M+ followers!
Our Application Tool-Kit has in-depth Letter of Recommendation (LOR) examples and tips on who to ask and how to get them to write you the PERFECT reference letter!
I walk you through an example application on this post, teach you 5 common question to practice answering here, and my YouTube channel has a playlist with every video application I've ever submitted.
Need more tips on making your own? You need the Winning PTO course (coming soon), or a 1-on-1 session with me!
Here are some productivity tips to help you get to “submit”!
Book a 1-on-1 appointment with me!
(Unfortunately because of the many emails I get daily, we will likely miss it if you send a message through the contact form 🙁 )
WANT MORE? FOLLOW ME ON
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RECENT PTO BLOG POSTS
How to answer “Tell us about yourself” (and 5 more common application questions)
Reading Time: 3 minutes The most common questions on travel scholarships and contests you should be ready to answer at the drop of a hat. So: tell us about yourself!
Study Abroad Scholarships: How I Won $40,000 and How You Can Too!
Reading Time: 7 minutes Education abroad and study abroad scholarships are two elements of university life that are misunderstood, underutilized, and shrouded in mystery Luckily, I've decoded the puzzle of applying to and successfully winning this …
How to Study Abroad in Spain: Tips from Someone Who's Actually Done it!
Reading Time: 4 minutes Find out 3 simple ways you can study abroad in Spain as an American student (maybe even for free, with study abroad scholarships!)
What is a PTO? How to Travel and Study Abroad For Free
Reading Time: 3 minutes You won't find our version of ‘PTO' in the dictionary. It’s the term I've coined to encompass all the different types of opportunities that I find and share, that have an element of travel!
Travel the U.S. For Free Volunteering with the Environmental Conservation Corps (Kelsey, 23) – YTN
Reading Time: 8 minutes Kelsey shares how she traveled the Southwest U.S. for free by volunteering with AmeriCorps and the Conservation Corps for 3 months.
How to Do a TED Talk: Tips to Apply, Audition, and Take the Stage
Reading Time: 5 minutes Tips on how to do your first TEDx Talk: pitching, applying, and speaking your first TEDx talk and up-level your public speaking!
Studying Abroad This Fall? Here's How You Can Still do Halloween!
Reading Time: 8 minutes If you thought venturing into the world solo to study abroad scary, just wait till you see what spooky places waiting just around the corner, at these Top 12 international education destinations!
Apply to Win! How to Win Travel Contests, Step by Step with an Expert
Reading Time: 7 minutes Welcome, I’m Gabby Beckford. While in college I was awarded more than $70,000 in financial aid, including travel grants and scholarships that helped me study abroad in Dubai, one of …
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