Scholarships and Tuition

How much is tuition?
Tuition for the entire program including curriculum, materials, all meals and lodging, special events and performances, local transportation during the program and a special bag o’ swag was $2,975.

Do you offer financial aid?
Yes! Thanks to the generosity of its individual donors and foundations, Student Achievement & Advocacy ServicesSAAS” (the nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that developed Adventures) provided scholarships ranging from 25-100% of the tuition to those who could demonstrate financial need. More than one-half of students received financial aid.

What factors does SAAS consider when making tuition assistance decisions?
Scholarships were awarded based on financial need. They were based on income levels followed by Cal Grants, Pell Grants, and the free and reduced price lunch program. SAAS reviewed all applications and was willing to consider special circumstances. Typically, families who received our larger awards made no more than $65,000 yearly (sometimes far less).

What is the deadline to apply for a scholarship?
We had a rolling admission policy so the sooner a student applied, the better chance they had.

How many scholarships are awarded each year?
Our goal was to provide scholarships ranging from 25% to 100% of the tuition to more than 50% of the campers.
Our budget for scholarships was dependent on overall enrollment in a given year and donations SAAS could secure. Therefore, we were not able to determine the number of awards until late spring. We did everything we could to accommodate as many scholarship requests as possible.

Do I need to pay the non-refundable $125 reservation deposit if I am awarded 100% Camp Scholarship?

Yes, all campers paid the non-refundable $125 reservation deposit.

How else can I get financial assistance to attend Adventures of the Mind Achievement & Leadership Summit?
We strongly recommended that families begin to secure financial assistance outside of SAAS as early as possible. Former participants have had success obtaining additional funding from schools, local businesses, or private fundraisers. We were more than happy to help with this process by providing letters of intent to attend our program or documentation of all fees. 

What is a typical day at Adventures like?
There was never a “typical” day at Adventures, but we ensured that each day was filled with engaging, varied, and uniquely inspirational programming including presentations from our incredible mentors and exploration of world class landmarks and activities in and around whatever higher education institution we were partnered with in a given year. Please see this schedule from Adventures 2011.