Financial Aid

FGC wants Friends to attend the Gathering regardless of
financial need.
Register early to get highest priority for financial assistance.
Both Scholarships and workgrants are available.

Workgrants

The Gathering offers a limited number of workgrants of $285 to
$360 for 2 to 4 hours of daily service at the Gathering. Workgrants are only available to adults (18 years and older, and not in the High School program).See a sample
list of workgrants on the Gathering website.

How to Apply for a Workgrant
How to apply: (a) complete the High School or Junior Gathering staff application
form, available online by mid-March, or (b) complete the
“Workgrant” questions when registering for the Gathering.

See a list of some of our workgrants.

Scholarships

Friends with financial need may request a scholarship from FGC.
Friends attending meetings affiliated with FGC have highest
priority for funding; other Friends will be considered after May 1, if
funds are available. Scholarships for unaffiliated western Friends will
be awarded earlier, thanks to a western donor.

How to Apply for Scholarship Assistance

Complete the "Scholarships" section when registering for the Gathering. Include a request for a specific amount. Registering early increases the likelihood of obtaining the maximum scholarship.

First-Time Gathering Attenders

If you receive a scholarship from your FGC-affiliated monthly, quarterly or yearly meeting, you are eligible for a matching FGC scholarship as long as funds remain. If your meeting is not able to provide as much assistance as it would like, a letter or email from the meeting will increase the likelihood of FGC meeting your financial need. For example, if your meeting can only give $50 but wishes it could give $300, FGC would like to know.

Without a scholarship or a letter from your meeting, financial aid from FGC will be minimal.

Teen and young adult first-time attenders (up to age 35) who identify as Quakers and are not connected to an FGC-affiliated meeting will receive priority scholarship assistance if they have a current or recent affiliation with a Quaker organization (e.g., school, camp, or Quaker employer).

Returning Gathering Attenders

Returning attenders may apply for FGC scholarships whether or not they receive financial assistance from their meeting. They are encouraged to request support from their meeting so that FGC may extend its support to more people.

Support for Families, Youth, and Young Adults

FGC scholarships for families and youth will be continue to be awarded after other funds have been fully disbursed. For the purposes of this scholarship, a family consists of no more than two adults and their related children. "Youth and young adults" means anyone 35 years or younger. These funds are awarded via the standard application process which starts when completing the registration form.

See below for supplemental scholarship for young adults from Philadlephia Yearly Meeting.

FGC also awards scholarships grants from a special fund managed by FGC for Pacific Yearly Meeting (PacYM) Friends ages 14-25. PacYM scholarships may exceed the FGC scholarship maximum. These funds are awarded via the standard application process which starts when completing the registration form. The standard maximum does not apply, and travel funds are also available upon request.

Special Scholarships for Young Adults from PhlYM

Scholarship for new (or long-absent) attenders

Do you meet these criteria?

Young Adult (18-35 years old), member of Philadlephia Yearly Meeting or worshipping within Philadlephia Yearly Meeting area (this includes West Philly Worship Group).
I have never attended the FGC Gathering OR I have not attended since 2006.

If so, you and your children qualify for a special scholarship: the standard maximum from FGC PLUS an up to an additional 25% of basic fees. This extra scholarship is funded by a grant from Friends Institute.

Interested in this scholarship? Check the appropriate box in the “financial aid” section when you register for the Gathering. Register early, scholarship funds are limited.

AYF Retreat scholarship

Also thanks to a grant from Friends Institute, FGC has scholarship funds for the AYF pre-Gathering retreat for young adults from the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting area. The scholarship funds housing June 29 and 30 and the $45 AYF Retreat Program fee.

Who Is Eligible and When?

Priority for all FGC scholarship funds will be given to members and attenders of meetings affiliated with FGC. A special fund for those in western unaffiliated meetings will also provide scholarships. Except for western Friends, unaffiliated Friends will not be eligible for the maximum FGC scholarship until May 1.

Maximum FGC scholarships

To determine maximum scholarship amounts, FGC calculates 50% of Total Fees (Lodging & Campus Fee + Meal Plan + Program Fee), assuming that Friends are in double rooms without air conditioning (AC), and that children sleep on the floor if eligible. You and your party may choose to select AC, singles, and beds for children, but this will not impact your maximum scholarship. Similarly, you may choose to camp in your car/RV, commute, or participate in a cooperative cooking meal plan, and this will not impact your maximum scholarship. Thanks to special funding, Pacific Yearly Meeting Friends age 14–25 are exempt from this maximum. Also, some young adults from the Philadlephia Yearly Meeting area are eligible for additional scholarships.

2012 Program Fees:

$340 Adult
$320 Adult Young Friend (up to 35yrs)
$305 High School
$245 Junior Gathering (birth - current 8th grade)
$740 Family Program fee (for families of 3 or more people, up to 2 adults and related children, high school age and under)

2012 Lodging & Campus Fee plus Meal Plan used for the calculation of maximum scholarship awards are as follows:

$378 Adult/AYF/Senior
$317 High School
$265 Youth (age 11 to current 8th grade)
$126 Child (age 6-10)
$21 Little Kids (under 6)

What If My Financial Aid Need Is Not Met?

If the financial aid provided to you is not enough to allow you to attend, you may cancel without penalty if you cancel within one week of learning of your financial aid award.

Travel Grants (limited eligibility)

$200 for Gathering Newcomers from the West: Thanks to special funding, a limited number of travel grants of $200 per person are available for to Friends from the Intermountain, North Pacific, and Pacific Yearly Meetings who are attending the Gathering for the first time.

Apply for a travel grant when you register for the Gathering. Funds are limited, and grants will be awarded based on registration date.