For many Friends, YAY Gathering is a big financial commitment, and FGC wants to make it possible for you. There are two main types of financial aid – scholarships and workgrants – available for YAY Gathering. We recommend registering by April 28 if you are requesting financial aid. Everyone who registers by this date has equal access to financial aid. After April 28, financial aid will be allocated on a rolling basis as long as funds remain.
Scholarship priority is given to Friends from meetings affiliated with FGC, and to volunteers who are receiving workgrants. It is possible to receive both a scholarship and a workgrant. Scholarship funds are not unlimited, and there is an upper limit to financial aid an individual or family may receive.
There are also some travel grants for specific groups – for Friends of Color through the Bayard Rustin Fund, for young adults from Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, and for Friends from western states & provinces via the Western Travel Grant.
Workgrants
A workgrant is a fee waiver for specific volunteer service during YAY Gathering. Typical workgrants range from $200 to $400 for 3 to 6 hours of daily service at the YAY Gathering. Workgrants are only available to adults (18 years and older, and not in the High School program), and are usually for returning Gathering attenders. We advise first-time attenders to request scholarship assistance instead of workgrants.
Learn more about Workgrants at YAY Gathering
How to Apply for a Workgrant
- Review Gathering Youth Staff information and complete a High School or Junior Gathering staff application form.
OR - Email Gathering staff and let us know what of the other YAY Workgrant Role(s) on this page you are interested in
OR - Answer the “Workgrant” questions when completing the YAY Gathering registration form
Scholarships
Friends with financial need may request a scholarship from FGC when they register for the YAY Gathering.
April 28 – Priority deadline for Financial Aid: Attenders who register by April 28 are given priority consideration for financial aid.
How to Apply for Scholarship Assistance
Complete the “Scholarships” section when registering for the YAY Gathering. Include a request for a specific amount. FGC recommends that you register by April 28, even if you do not yet know whether your meeting will be able to financially help you.
Maximum FGC Scholarships
The scholarship maximum is 50% of your registration fees. Use this chart to determine the maximum scholarship for each member of your party.
Exceptions to maximum: Thanks to special funding, young adults from Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, may be exempt from these maximums. Other limited exceptions to the maximums may be made in the event of extraordinary circumstances.
| Age Range | Scholarship Maximum |
|---|---|
| Adult (>35 yrs) | $417 |
| Young Adult (18-35 yrs) | $402 |
| High School (rising 10th gr. to graduating senior) | $342 |
| Youth (11 yrs-rising 9th gr.) | $319 |
| Child (3-10 yrs) | $219 |
| Little Child (birth-2 yrs) | $103 |
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.
Exceptions to the Scholarship Maximum
The Gathering may exceed the scholarship maximum for a limited number of Friends experiencing financial hardship. Such exceptions are given to individuals or families that meet one or more of these criteria.
- Recipient of U.S. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Canadian Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS)
- Recipient of U.S. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
- Income below the U.S. Federal Poverty Guidelines or Canadian LICO
You may request increased scholarship on your registration form – there is a section for anything additional you want FGC Staff to know.
Additional Scholarships and Travel Funds
- Mahala Ashley Dickerson Fund – registration fee support for People of Color
- Bayard Rustin Fund – travel funds for People of Color – priority application deadline is April 14
- Scholarship & Travel Funds for Young Adults from Philadelphia Yearly Meeting
- Western Travel Grant – travel funds for families from western states & provinces
Mahala Ashley Dickerson Fund
Registration Fee Support Fund for People of Color
This fund provides grants to support registration fees for Friends of Color. The fund is designed to ensure that Friends of Color can fully participate in the work and retreat opportunities FGC offers.
The application form for funding for attending the YAY Gathering is part of registration – there’s no need for a separate application form.
Bayard Rustin Fund
Travel Support Fund for People of Color
This fund provides grants to support travel costs for Friends of Color to attend FGC events like YAY Gathering.
Given the limited amount of money we have available for grants, and in our attempt to provide equal support for Friends, we may not be able to grant continuous support for Friends who had received aid more than two times from Bayard Rustin Fund. We look forward to a future in which we will have fewer limitations on funding. We encourage those who were unable to receive aid to seek other avenues of support through their Monthly and Yearly Meetings.
More information and grant application for the Bayard Rustin Fund – priority application deadline is April 14.
Scholarship & Travel Funds for Young Adults from Philadelphia Yearly Meeting
Thanks to a generous grant from PhlYM’s Travel & Witness Granting Group, four forms of supplemental financial aid are available to young adults, age 18-35, from Philadelphia Yearly Meeting (PhlYM). Young adults in the PhlYM region are eligible, whether or not they are a member of a meeting.
Apply for this special assistance simply by answering the questions when completing your YAY Gathering registration.
For all PhlYM young adults: There are scholarship funds available to assist in covering registration fees to attend the 2025 YAY Gathering. Please include amount requested when registering.
Travel grants: All young adults in the PhlYM region may request a travel grant up to $400. Please include mode of transportation and amount needed when registering.
Travel Grants for Western Children, Families, and Young Adults
Thanks to a generous western donor, western Friends 35 years and younger, as well as the parents of attendees age 18 & under, are eligible for a travel grant of up to $350 per family, while funds remain. To be eligible for this grant, you must meet the age requirements and live in the U.S. or Canada within or west of: New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Saskatchewan, the Northwest Territories, and Alaska. Apply for the travel grant when registering for the YAY Gathering.